Ciliate
/ˈsɪl.i.eɪt/noun
Having fine hairlike projections or fringes; especially of a microscopic organism or cell.
Did you know?Ciliate comes from Latin cilium, meaning “eyelid” or “eyelash,” and the word’s scientific use reflects a real visual metaphor: the hairlike structures on cells looked like tiny lashes under early microscopes.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kēi-
“to lie down, rest; related to covering or lying over”
Latin
Latin
cilium
“eyelid; eyelash”
Late Latin
Latin
ciliātus
“furnished with eyelashes; fringed with hair”
18th Century
New Latin
ciliatus
“having eyelash-like fringes, especially in scientific classification”
Modern English
English
ciliate
“having cilia; fringed with tiny hairlike projections”
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