protoctist

pro·toc·tist

P0616475 (prə-tōk′tĭst)n. Any of various eukaryotic organisms belonging to the kingdom Protoctista in some classification systems. Protoctists include unicellular and multicellular organisms that are not fungi, plants, or animals. They are usually now referred to as protists.

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[From New Latin Prōtoctista, kingdom name : Greek prōto-, proto- + Greek ktistos, produced, created (from ktizein, to create, establish; see tkei- in Indo-European roots).]

protoctist

(prəʊˈtɒktɪst) n (Biology) (in modern biological classifications) any unicellular or simple multicellular organism belonging to the kingdom Protoctista, which includes protozoans, algae, and slime moulds[C19: from New Latin protoctista, perhaps from Greek prōtotokos first born]

pro·toc·tist

(prə-tŏk′tĭst) See protist.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

protoctist - any of the unicellular protists microorganism, micro-organism - any organism of microscopic sizekingdom Protoctista, Protoctista - in most modern classifications, replacement for the Protista; includes: Protozoa; Euglenophyta; Chlorophyta; Cryptophyta; Heterokontophyta; Rhodophyta; unicellular protists and their descendant multicellular organisms: regarded as distinct from plants and animalsprotozoan, protozoon - any of diverse minute acellular or unicellular organisms usually nonphotosyntheticalga, algae - primitive chlorophyll-containing mainly aquatic eukaryotic organisms lacking true stems and roots and leaves