Amoeboid
/ˌæm.iˈbɔɪd/noun
Resembling an amoeba in shape or movement, especially by constantly changing form.
Did you know?The Greek root behind amoeba means “change” or “exchange,” making amoeboid a linguistic descendant of the ancient idea of continual transformation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mey-
“To change, exchange, or move from one state to another”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ameíbō
“To change, exchange, or alternate”
Ancient Greek
Greek
amoibḗ
“Change, exchange, or alternation”
Ancient Greek
Greek
amoiboeidḗs
“Resembling an amoeba; change-form-like”
19th Century
Scientific Latin
Amoeba
“A microscopic organism named for its changeable form”
19th Century
English
amoeboid
“Resembling an amoeba in form or movement”