protist

noun

pro·​tist ˈprō-(ˌ)tist 

: any of a diverse taxonomic group and especially a kingdom (Protista synonym Protoctista) of eukaryotic organisms that are unicellular and sometimes colonial or less often multicellular and that typically include the protozoans, most algae, and often some fungi (such as slime molds)

protistan

prō-ˈti-stən 

adjective or noun

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Over the past 50 years or so, scientists have shown that hundreds of organisms in nearly all branches of the bacterial, protist and animal kingdoms have the ability to detect and respond to this geomagnetic field. —Shinsuke Shimojo, Daw-an Wu, Discover Magazine, 18 Mar. 2019

Viral genes were detected alongside 51 percent of protist cells from the gulf and 35 percent from the sea. —Jennifer Frazer, Scientific American, 11 Nov. 2020

However, as only 22 out of 1,698 protist genomes detected belonged to these two groups, these results are certainly suggestive but by no means definitive. —Jennifer Frazer, Scientific American, 11 Nov. 2020

Any genetic material that differed from a protist’s, the team reasoned, was probably the signature of something the microbes had eaten. —Katherine J. Wu New York Times, Star Tribune, 24 Sep. 2020

Dicty, the prodigy protist, not only solved this maze but also managed to use its self-generating gradient skills to find a shortcut. —Emily Willingham, Scientific American, 28 Aug. 2020

Instead, malaria is a protist, an organism that in some cases dramatically changes form depending on its life cycle. —oregonlive, 25 Jan. 2020

Their emergence more than one billion years ago was a foundational event in the development of eukaryotes, which include plants, animals, protists and fungi. —Quanta Magazine, 20 June 2013

Until fairly recently, myxosporeans were considered to be protists, offshoots of the eukaryotic line that are neither plants, animals nor fungi. —Quanta Magazine, 19 Aug. 2019

See More

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Protista, from Greek, neuter plural of prōtistos very first, primal, from superlative of prōtos first — more at proto-

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

protist

noun

pro·​tist ˈprōt-əst 

: any of a kingdom of organisms that resemble plants or animals or both, are one-celled and sometimes colonial or less often many-celled, and that typically include the protozoans, most algae, and often some fungi (as slime molds)

protistan

prō-ˈtis-tən 

adjective or noun

Medical Definition

protist

noun

pro·​tist ˈprōt-əst, ˈprō-ˌtist 

: any of a diverse taxonomic group and especially a kingdom (Protista synonym Protoctista) of eukaryotic organisms that are unicellular and sometimes colonial or less often multicellular and that typically include the protozoans, most algae, and often some fungi (as slime molds)

protistan

prō-ˈtis-tən 

adjective or noun