unicellular

adjective

uni·​cel·​lu·​lar ˌyü-ni-ˈsel-yə-lər How to pronounce unicellular (audio)
: having or consisting of a single cell
unicellular microorganisms

Examples of unicellular in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Apparently, unicellular microscopic fungus prefer classical music. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 10 July 2023 Eukaryotes have cells that typically contain a single nucleus housing DNA: All multicellular life — animals, plants and fungi — as well as some types of unicellular life, are eukaryotes. Mindy Weisberger, CNN, 12 May 2023 Moeller primarily studies protists, a broad category of unicellular microorganisms like amoebas and paramecia that don’t fit within the familiar macroscopic categories of animals, plants and fungi. Quanta Magazine, 19 Dec. 2022 First described in 2009 in the unicellular green algae Micromonas, introners have subsequently turned up in the genomes of some other algae, some species of fungi, tiny marine organisms called dinoflagellates and simple invertebrates called tunicates. Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 30 Mar. 2023 Many species are unicellular and lack advanced structures such as stems, leaves, and petals. Amy Nordrum, IEEE Spectrum, 30 May 2018 In its half-century of existence the Bion program has sent everything from seedlings, unicellular organisms, and plants to Rhesus monkeys, insects, rats, and fish into space. Perrin Ireland, Discover Magazine, 28 Apr. 2013 Yeasts are unicellular, while molds and macrofungi take the form of mycelia, networks of threadlike membranes, each a single cell thick, that can infest a rotting orange, infiltrate acres of woodland or fuse together to make a mushroom. Kenneth Miller, Discover Magazine, 30 May 2013 Schwartzman and van Gestel both believe that a capacity for multicellularity evolved early in life’s history and is shared with bacteria’s ancient cousins, the archaea, which also seem unicellular. Carrie Arnold, Quanta Magazine, 2 Nov. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unicellular.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unicellular was in 1858

Dictionary Entries Near unicellular

Cite this Entry

“Unicellular.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unicellular. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unicellular

adjective
uni·​cel·​lu·​lar ˌyü-ni-ˈsel-yə-lər How to pronounce unicellular (audio)
: having or consisting of a single cell
unicellular microorganisms

Medical Definition

unicellular

adjective
uni·​cel·​lu·​lar ˌyü-ni-ˈsel-yə-lər How to pronounce unicellular (audio)
: having or consisting of a single cell
unicellular microorganisms
unicellularity noun
plural unicellularities
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