zooid

[ zoh-oid ]

noun

1. any organic body or cell capable of spontaneous movement and of an existence more or less apart from or independent of the parent organism.
2. any animal organism or individual capable of separate existence, and produced by fission, gemmation, or some method other than direct sexual reproduction.
3. any one of the recognizably distinct individuals or elements of a compound or colonial animallike organism, whether or not detached or detachable.

adjective

1. Also zo·oidal. pertaining to, resembling, or of the nature of an animal.

zooid

/ ˈzəʊɔɪd /

noun

1. any independent animal body, such as an individual of a coelenterate colony
2. a motile cell or body, such as a gamete, produced by an organism

Derived Forms

• zoˈoidal, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of zooid¹

First recorded in 1850–55; zo- + -oid

Example Sentences

The asexual stock, after budding off one asexual zooid, elongates again and buds off a second zooid.

From Project Gutenberg

The anterior asexual zooid continues to produce fresh sexual zooids by fission.

From Project Gutenberg

In Autolytus there is, to begin with, a conversion of the posterior half of the body to form a sexual zooid.

From Project Gutenberg

Mr. Busk, however, does not know of any gradations now existing between a zooid and an avicularium.

From Project Gutenberg

The posterior part forms a rudimentary zooid, called by Huxley Cyathozooid, which eventually atrophies.

From Project Gutenberg