-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
unicellular
adjective
uni·cel·lu·lar
ˌyü-ni-ˈsel-yə-lər
: having or consisting of a single cell
unicellular microorganisms
Examples of unicellular in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Apparently, unicellular microscopic fungus prefer classical music.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 10 July 2023
Eukaryotes have cells that typically contain a single nucleus housing DNA: All multicellular life — animals, plants and fungi — as well as some types of unicellular life, are eukaryotes.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN, 12 May 2023
Moeller primarily studies protists, a broad category of unicellular microorganisms like amoebas and paramecia that don’t fit within the familiar macroscopic categories of animals, plants and fungi.
—Quanta Magazine, 19 Dec. 2022
First described in 2009 in the unicellular green algae Micromonas, introners have subsequently turned up in the genomes of some other algae, some species of fungi, tiny marine organisms called dinoflagellates and simple invertebrates called tunicates.
—Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 30 Mar. 2023
Many species are unicellular and lack advanced structures such as stems, leaves, and petals.
—Amy Nordrum, IEEE Spectrum, 30 May 2018
In its half-century of existence the Bion program has sent everything from seedlings, unicellular organisms, and plants to Rhesus monkeys, insects, rats, and fish into space.
—Perrin Ireland, Discover Magazine, 28 Apr. 2013
Yeasts are unicellular, while molds and macrofungi take the form of mycelia, networks of threadlike membranes, each a single cell thick, that can infest a rotting orange, infiltrate acres of woodland or fuse together to make a mushroom.
—Kenneth Miller, Discover Magazine, 30 May 2013
Schwartzman and van Gestel both believe that a capacity for multicellularity evolved early in life’s history and is shared with bacteria’s ancient cousins, the archaea, which also seem unicellular.
—Carrie Arnold, Quanta Magazine, 2 Nov. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unicellular.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1858, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near unicellular
Cite this Entry
“Unicellular.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unicellular. Accessed 10 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
unicellular
adjective
uni·cel·lu·lar
ˌyü-ni-ˈsel-yə-lər
: having or consisting of a single cell
unicellular microorganisms
Medical Definition
unicellular
adjective
uni·cel·lu·lar
ˌyü-ni-ˈsel-yə-lər
: having or consisting of a single cell
unicellular microorganisms
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share