prokaryote

noun

pro·​kary·​ote (ˌ)prō-ˈker-ē-ˌōt How to pronounce prokaryote (audio)
(ˌ)prō-ˈka-rē-ˌōt
variants or less commonly procaryote
: any of the typically unicellular microorganisms that lack a distinct nucleus and membrane-bound organelles and that are classified as a kingdom (Prokaryotae synonym Monera) or into two domains (Bacteria and Archaea) compare archaea, bacterium, eukaryote

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Faced with the same supply problem, Epulopiscium will remain a prokaryote. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 20 Oct. 2010 Even this giant prokaryote needs to have genes in close proximity to its membrane. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 20 Oct. 2010 Up until then, viral factories appeared to be exclusive to the viruses that infect eukaryotes, so finding one in a prokaryote bolstered the idea that something similar could have happened long ago to initiate the formation of a nucleus. Quanta Magazine, 25 Nov. 2020 But some researchers suspect there are many more species of prokaryotes in the world — which would mean many more species of viruses. Carl Zimmer, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2020 In a paper published on March 4 in Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, Dr. Kuhn and his colleagues argued that there are, at minimum, 100 million species of viruses that infect prokaryotes. Carl Zimmer, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2020 Eukaryotes are thought to have first evolved when a host cell swallowed up a prokaryote, or bacteria. Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, 17 Dec. 2019 There weren’t just two—there were five, and some were eukaryotes (with nucleuses), and some were prokaryotes (without). Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 15 Nov. 2019 The first endosymbiosis occurred when a prokaryote—a single-cell organism without a nucleus—engulfed a bacterium, producing the first eukaryotic cell about 1.7 billion years ago. Viviane Callier, Smithsonian, 23 Oct. 2019 See More

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

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Prokaryotes, proposed subdivision of protists, from pro- entry 1 + kary- + -otes, plural noun suffix, from Greek -ōtos — more at -otic

First Known Use

1963, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of prokaryote was in 1963

Dictionary Entries Near prokaryote

Cite this Entry

“Prokaryote.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prokaryote. Accessed 31 May. 2023.

Kids Definition

prokaryote

noun
pro·​kary·​ote prō-ˈkar-ē-ˌōt How to pronounce prokaryote (audio)
: an organism (as a bacterium) that is typically single-celled and does not have a nucleus or most of the cell structures (as mitochondria) characteristic of eukaryotes

Medical Definition

prokaryote

noun
pro·​kary·​ote
variants also procaryote
: any of the typically unicellular microorganisms that lack a distinct nucleus and membrane-bound organelles and that are classified as a kingdom (Prokaryotae synonym Monera) or into two domains (Bacteria and Archaea) compare eukaryote
prokaryotic adjective
also procaryotic

More from Merriam-Webster on prokaryote

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!