amoeba

Everyday

1. A tiny living thing made of just one cell, which you can only see with a microscope. tree →
2. It has no fixed shape: it moves by pushing out parts of itself like fingers (called pseudopods) and eats by wrapping round its food. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons the amoeba is a classic example of a single-celled organism that lives in ponds, soil and water. Some kinds cause illness if dirty water is drunk, which is why we boil or clean water. In everyday talk «amoeba-like» means shapeless.

Examples

• Under the microscope the amoeba changed its shape. tree →
• An amoeba is made of just one cell. tree →
• The amoeba wrapped around a tiny bit of food. tree →
• Amoebae live in pond water. tree →
• We drew the amoeba with its little pseudopods. tree →
• Some amoebas can make people ill if they drink dirty water. tree →

Note

Say «uh-MEE-buh». Two plurals: amoebas (everyday) and amoebae («uh-MEE-bee», science). US spelling ameba. It is not a bacterium and not an animal in the usual sense.