Definition of protist Protist

pro•tist

We found 5 definitions of protist from 5 different sources.

What does protist mean?

Noun Plural: protists
protist - free-living or colonial organisms with diverse nutritional and reproductive modes
		protistan
		micro-organism, microorganism any organism of microscopic size

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protist (Noun)
Any of the eukaryotic unicellular organisms including protozoans, slime mold s and some algae; historically grouped into the kingdom Protoctista.

Protists are unicellular (single celled) plant or animal organisms that are usually microscopic and therefore invisible to the naked eye.

An example of a single celled organism in the protist kingdom is the Paramecium or "slipper animalcule." The Paramecium moves using its small, hair-like fibers called cilia, and eats using the cilia to sweep the food into its food vacuole. Other protists can be amoebas, which move by extending pseudopods and flowing into them, or flowing around food particles and engulfing them.