Standard Lemma guide

zoogloea

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • UK: /ˌzəʊ.əˈɡliː.ə/
  • US: /ˌzoʊ.əˈɡli.ə/
  • rhymes with -iːə

1

noun

Meaning 1

A colony or mass of bacteria embedded in a viscous gelatinous substance, characteristic of a transitory stage through which rapidly multiplying bacteria pass in the course of their evolution.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gweyh3- Proto-Indo-European *gwyéh3-w-os Proto-Hellenic *ďōwós Ancient Greek ζωός (zōós) Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Ancient Greek -ῐος (-ĭos)? Ancient Greek -ῐον (-ĭon) Ancient Greek ζώῐ̈ον (zṓĭ̈on) Ancient Greek ζῷον (zōîon)der. English zoo- Ancient Greek γλοία (gloía) English zoogloea From zoo- + Ancient Greek γλοία (gloía).