multicelled
1
4.2
- adjective
- /ˌmʌltiˈsɛld/
- Specialized
:
multicelular
- Many organisms, such as plants and animals, are multicelled, meaning they are made up of more than one cell.
- multicelled organisms
- multicelled life
- multicelled animals
Examples
-
Multicelled life appeared again and again, and it never thrived.
Fiction book (2000) -
" Eventually, conditions stabilized somewhat and successful multicelled forms emerged, but by then they were actually at a disadvantage because they were, at least initially, more vulnerable than their solitary cousins.
Fiction book (2000) -
Numerous other single-celled and multicelled organisms make heat-shock proteins to either repair or dismantle proteins damaged by abrupt increases in temperature.
Academic text (1994) -
The adaptation of multicelled structures allowed for greater complexity in biological systems.
-
Compared to single-celled organisms, multicelled life forms can perform more specialized functions.
Synonyms
3
4.3
Having more than one cell
Antonyms
How Many
- Specialized
1
4.2
- Specialized
1
5.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
multicelled = celled (transparent) = multi + cell + ed
Adding multi- to celled directly yields the meaning 'having many cells'.
Etymology
The word multicelled comes from the prefix multi- meaning 'many' and the word cell meaning 'a small room' or 'compartment'. So, a multicelled organism is like a body made of 'many small rooms' — that is, many cells — which is why it is made of more than one cell.