protist
[ proh-tist ]
/ ˈproʊ tɪst /
noun
any of various one-celled organisms, classified in the kingdom Protista, that are either free-living or aggregated into simple colonies and that have diverse reproductive and nutritional modes, including the protozoans, eukaryotic algae, and slime molds: some classification schemes also include the fungi and the more primitive bacteria and blue-green algae or may distribute the organisms between the kingdoms Plantae and Animalia according to dominant characteristics.
Origin of protist
1885–90; < New Latin
Protista (neuter plural) name of the kingdom < Greek
prṓtistos (masculine singular) the very first, superlative of
prôtos first; see
proto-
OTHER WORDS FROM protist
pro·tis·tan [proh-tis-tuh n] /proʊˈtɪs tən/, adjective, noun pro·tis·tic, adjectiveWords nearby protist
British Dictionary definitions for protistans
protist
/ (ˈprəʊtɪst) /
noun
(in some classification systems) any organism belonging to the kingdom Protista, originally including bacteria, protozoans, algae, and fungi, regarded as distinct from plants and animals. It was later restricted to protozoans, unicellular algae, and simple fungi
See also protoctist
Word Origin for protist
C19: from New Latin
Protista most primitive organisms, from Greek
prōtistos the very first, from
prōtos first
Medical definitions for protistans
protist
[ prō′tĭst ]
n.
A unicellular, eukaroytic organism belonging to the former taxonomic kingdom Protista.
Scientific definitions for protistans
protist
[ prō′tĭst ]
Any of a large variety of usually one-celled organisms belonging to the kingdom Protista (or Protoctista). Protists are eukaryotes and live in water or in watery tissues of organisms. Some protists resemble plants in that they produce their own food by photosynthesis, while others resemble animals in consuming organic matter for food. Protist cells are often structurally much more elaborate than the cells of multicellular plants and animals. Protists include the protozoans, most algae, diatoms, oomycetes, and the slime molds. Also called protoctist See Table at taxonomy.