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Infusoria

Infusoria

9.9
Tiny single-celled creatures in pond or aquarium water you can see under a microscope
  • noun
  • /ɪnˈfjuːzəriə/
  • Archaic
translation icon : infusorios
  • He explained that infusoria are essential for breaking down organic matter in aquatic environments.

Examples

  • While examining the pond, we discovered various infusoria thriving in the water's greenish hue.

  • Our gang was gathered at the usual spot, our turf, between a drainage ditch and a small cove, where leeches and infusoria multiply.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • So I have Precambrian infusoria within me and basic lizard survival reflexes.

    Academic text (2001)
  • Scientists studied the infusoria living in the decayed leaves to understand their ecological role.

Surface Forms

Infusoria singular
Infusorias plural

Etymology

Infusoria comes from the Latin root infus- meaning 'to pour in', the same idea in the English words infuse and infusion. It was used for the tiny water creatures that appear in a liquid where bits of matter have been poured in and left to rot, which is why the name fits these microorganisms.