plasmodium
noun
plas·mo·di·um plaz-ˈmō-dē-əm 
plural plasmodia plaz-ˈmō-dē-ə
1
a
: a motile multinucleate mass of protoplasm resulting from fusion of uninucleate amoeboid cells
also : an organism (such as a stage of a slime mold) that consists of such a structure
b
: syncytium sense 1
2
: a sporozoan parasite (genus Plasmodium) that is the causative agent of malaria
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web At its core, hydroxychloroquine, along with its close cousin chloroquine, is an antimalarial medication that primarily treats and prevents the mosquito-borne infection by killing the microorganism (a plasmodium parasite) that causes it. 
Popular Science, 29 May 2020 When food is nearby, the plasmodium forms a network of slender tubules that branch out in search of it, eventually finding the optimal path. Eoin O'carroll, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Apr. 2018 And there’s no limit to the number of individuals that can join the collective, called a plasmodium. Brian Resnick, Vox, 5 Apr. 2018
Popular Science, 29 May 2020 When food is nearby, the plasmodium forms a network of slender tubules that branch out in search of it, eventually finding the optimal path. Eoin O'carroll, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Apr. 2018 And there’s no limit to the number of individuals that can join the collective, called a plasmodium. Brian Resnick, Vox, 5 Apr. 2018 Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from plasm- + -odium thing resembling, from Greek -ōdēs like
First Known Use
1875, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Medical Definition
plasmodium
noun
plas·mo·di·um plaz-ˈmōd-ē-əm
1
plural plasmodia -dē-ə
a
: a motile multinucleate mass of protoplasm resulting from fusion of uninucleate amoeboid cells
also : an organism (as a stage of a slime mold) that consists of such a structure
b
: syncytium sense 1
2
a
capitalized : the type genus of the family Plasmodiidae of sporozoans that includes all the malaria parasites affecting humans
b
plural plasmodia : any individual malaria parasite