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paramecium

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Paramecium

Main Entry:: par·a·me·cium
Pronunciation:: \ˌpa-rə-ˈmē-sh(ē-)əm, -sē-əm\
Function:: noun
Inflected Form(s):: plural par·a·me·cia \-sh(ē-)ə, -sē-ə\ also par·a·me·ciums
Etymology:: New Latin, from Greek paramēkēs oblong, from para- + mēkos length; akin to Greek makros long — more at meager
Date:: 1752

: any of a genus (Paramecium) of ciliate chiefly freshwater protozoans that have an elongate body rounded at the anterior end and an oblique funnel-shaped buccal groove bearing the mouth at the extremity

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