any organism having cells in each of which the genetic material is in a single DNA chain, not enclosed in a nucleus. Bacteria and archaeans are prokaryotes
Compare eukaryote
Derived forms
prokaryotic or procaryotic (prəʊˌkærɪˈɒtɪk)
adjective
Word origin
from pro-2 + karyo- + -ote as in zygote
prokaryote in American English
(proʊˈkæriˌoʊt)
noun
an organism lacking a true nucleus: in some systems of biological classification, any of a superkingdom (Prokaryotae) of organisms, including the viruses and monerans