ciliates
|cil-i-ates|
/ˈsɪliˌeɪts/
(ciliate)
having cilia
Etymology
'ciliate' originates from Latin, specifically the Late Latin word 'ciliatus', where 'cilium' meant 'eyelash'.
'cilium' (Latin) → 'ciliatus' (Late Latin/Scientific Latin) → 'ciliate' in Modern English (borrowed in biological terminology).
Initially it referred to 'having an eyelash' or 'eyelash-like appendage'; over time it came to mean 'having cilia (small hair-like structures)' in a biological sense.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural of 'ciliate': a single-celled protozoan of the phylum Ciliophora (or class Ciliata) characterized by numerous hair-like organelles called cilia, used for locomotion and feeding.
Ciliates are abundant in pond water and play important roles in microbial food webs.
Synonyms
Verb 1
third-person singular present of 'ciliate': to furnish or become furnished with cilia (to form or bear cilia).
In certain conditions the epithelial cells ciliates to help clear particles.
Last updated: 2025/11/26 20:22