Illustration of amoeba
- 1 pseudopodium
- 2 nucleus
- 3 contractile vacuole
- 4 food vacuole
ameba, amebic, ameboid
1 of 2
ame·ba
less common spellings of amoeba, amoebic, amoeboid
: any of a large genus (Amoeba) of naked rhizopod protozoans with lobed and never anastomosing pseudopodia, without permanent organelles or supporting structures, and of wide distribution in fresh and salt water and moist terrestrial environments
broadly
: a naked rhizopod or other amoeboid protozoan
variants
or less commonly ameba
plural amoebas or amoebae also amebas or amebae
ə-ˈmē-(ˌ)bē 
: any of a large genus (Amoeba) of naked rhizopod protozoans with lobed and never anastomosing pseudopodia, without permanent organelles or supporting structures, and of wide distribution in fresh and salt water and moist terrestrial environments
broadly
: a naked rhizopod or other amoeboid protozoan
amoebic
adjective
or less commonly amebic
ə-ˈmē-bik
Examples of ameba in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Mark Dee
may 19, Idaho Statesman, 19 May 2026
The researchers note in their study that the amoeba has been steadily migrating northward since 1962, a phenomenon that’s expected to continue as global temperatures rise.
—Drew Pittock, USA Today, 11 May 2026
Acanthamoeba and other amoeba species have been found in more than 50 percent of US tap water samples.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026
In a story about an astronaut schoolteacher trying to solve the puzzle of light-guzzling amoeba, that is perhaps inevitable.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Mar. 2026
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Noun
From above, Kuna is a splintering amoeba of annexation, tract housing intercut with active farms and green fields.
—Mark Dee
may 19, Idaho Statesman, 19 May 2026
The researchers note in their study that the amoeba has been steadily migrating northward since 1962, a phenomenon that’s expected to continue as global temperatures rise.
—Drew Pittock, USA Today, 11 May 2026
Acanthamoeba and other amoeba species have been found in more than 50 percent of US tap water samples.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026
In a story about an astronaut schoolteacher trying to solve the puzzle of light-guzzling amoeba, that is perhaps inevitable.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ameba
Cite this Entry
“Ameba.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ameba. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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