zooid

See also: zoöid

English

Alternative forms

• zoöid

Etymology

From zoo- +‎ -oid. Compare Ancient Greek ζῴδιον (zṓidion, “animal”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈzəʊɔɪd/, /ˈzuːɔɪd/

Noun

zooid (plural zooids)

1. (biology) An organic body or cell having locomotion, as a spermatic cell or spermatozoid.
2. (zoology) An animal in one of its inferior or early stages of development, as one of the intermediate forms in alternate generation.
3. (zoology) One of the individual animals in a composite group, as of Anthozoa, Hydrozoa, and Bryozoa; — sometimes restricted to those individuals in which the mouth and digestive organs are not developed.

Derived terms

• autozooid
• macrozooid
• microzooid
• polyzooid

Adjective

zooid (comparative more zooid, superlative most zooid)

1. (biology) Relating to, or resembling, an animal.