protist

From translingual Protista, from Ancient Greek πρώτιστος (prṓtistos).

• IPA^(key): /ˈproʊtɪst/

protist (plural protists)

1. (microbiology) Any of the eukaryotic, usually unicellular organisms—including protozoans, slime molds and some algae—historically grouped into the kingdom Protista (or Protoctista), now distributed over several clades; any eukaryote that is not a plant, animal or fungus.
   • 2020, Merlin Sheldrake, Entangled Life, page 162:

     Besides the hundreds or thousands of metres of fungal mycelium in a teaspoon of healthy soil, there are more bacteria, protists, insects and arthropods than the number of humans who have ever lived on Earth.

   Synonym: protistan

   1. Any single-celled eukaryote, prokaryote or sponge [to 1959].
   2. Any single-celled eukaryote or prokaryote [1959–1969].
   3. Any single-celled eukaryote [since 1969].

• As cladistics and phylogenetics became increasingly emphasised in modern taxonomy, Protista was revealed to be an artificial grouping of several independent clades, and its use as a formal taxon was gradually abandoned. For more information, see Protist on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• The study of protists is termed protistology.

• tropist

Borrowed from New Latin Protista, from Ancient Greek πρώτιστος (prṓtistos).

• IPA^(key): /proːˈtɪst/

• Audio:

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• Hyphenation: pro‧tist
• Rhymes: -ɪst

protist m (plural protisten)

1. protist (unicellular organism)

Borrowed from French protiste.

protist n (plural protiste)

1. protist