amoeba

Meanings

1. A member of the genus Amoeba of unicellular protozoa that moves by means of temporary projections called pseudopodia.
2. Any eukaryote that exhibits amoeboid movement, having the ability to change its shape.
3. Any member of the class or phylum Sarcodina, a polyphyletic grouping into which diverse amoeboids were placed.
4. A graph of the real part of the logarithms of a polynomial equation in complex numbers.
5. An asexual.

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἀμοιβή (amoibḗ, “change”), referring to constantly changing shape of these organisms.