heliozoan

[ hee-lee-uh-zoh-uhn ]

noun

1. a protozoan of the order Heliozoa, having a spherical body and radiating pseudopods.

adjective

1. Also he·li·o·zo·ic [] belonging or pertaining to the Heliozoa.

heliozoan

/ ˌhiːlɪəʊˈzəʊən /

noun

1. any protozoan of the mostly freshwater group Heliozoa, typically having a siliceous shell and stiff radiating cytoplasmic projections: phylum Actinopoda (actinopods)

Word History and Origins

Origin of heliozoan¹

1890–95; < New Latin Hēliozo ( a ) name of the group ( helio-, -zoa ) + -an