Zooid
/ˈzoʊ.ɔɪd/noun
An animal-like cell or organism that can live independently or as part of a colony.
Did you know?In scientific usage, *zooid* comes from Greek *zōion* (“animal”), a root that also gave us *zodiac*—originally the “circle of little animals” in the sky.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
zōion (ζῷον)
“animal; living creature”
Late Greek
Greek
zōidion (ζῴδιον)
“little animal; animalcule”
19th Century
French
zooïde
“an animal-like organism or individual member of a colony”
19th Century
English
zooid
“an animal-like organism, especially one of the individuals in a colonial organism”
Modern English
English
zooid
“an animal-like cell or organism that can live independently or as part of a colony”