zoon

¹

[ zoh-on ]

noun

, Biology Rare.

, plural zo·a [zoh, -, uh].

1. any of the individuals of a compound organism.
2. any individual, or the individuals collectively, produced from a single egg.
3. zooid.

-zoon

²

1. a combining form meaning “animal,” “organism” of the kind specified by the initial element, often corresponding to zoological class names ending in -zoa, with -zoon used to name a single member of such a class:

   protozoon.

-zoon

¹

combining form

1. indicating an individual animal or an independently moving entity derived from an animal

   spermatozoon

zoon

²

/ ˈzəʊɒn /

noun

1. a less common term for zooid

Derived Forms

• zoˈonal, adjective

Other Words From

• zo·on·al [zoh, -, uh, -nl], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of zoon¹

First recorded in 1860–65; from New Latin zōon, from Greek zôion “animal”

Origin of zoon²

zoon

Word History and Origins

Origin of zoon¹

from Greek zōion animal

Origin of zoon²

C19: from New Latin, from Greek zōion animal; related to Greek zōē life

Example Sentences

Saeed Shahmirzai, a senior construction manager for Zoon Engineering, which will install the new lights, said the work would mean nighttime lane closures this fall.

From New York Times

Illness left Abbado unable to conduct more than sporadically, mostly at Lucerne and with the Orchestra Mozart, which he founded in Bologna in 2004; experimentation decorates his late recordings with that ensemble, including with period-instrument practice, though more affectingly in his concerto collaborations with friends such as the flutist Jacques Zoon and the hornist Alessio Allegrini than in his Mozart, Schubert and Schumann symphonies.

From New York Times

In “Manitou,” orchestral and electronic blurs envelop the voice of Daniel Monkman, who leads the Canadian band Zoon.

From New York Times

Cameras on the arms let the surgeons see what is happening, and they can zoon in and magnify the area being operated on.

From BBC

According to Ms. Zoon, only one other panda in China is documented to have given birth at an older age than Mei Xiang at 23 years old.

From Washington Times

Words That Use -zoon

What does -zoon mean?

The combining form -zoon is used like a suffix meaning “animal” or “organism.” It is occasionally used in scientific terms, particularly to refer to a single member of classes in zoology. In zoology, class has a specific meaning that refers to taxonomy.

The form -zoon comes from Greek zôion, meaning “animal.” The word zoo also ultimately comes from this Greek root. Zoo is shortened from zoological garden.

What are variants of -zoon?

While -zoon doesn’t have any variants, it is related to the form -zoa, which is the plural form of -zoon, as in Protozoa.

When combined as a prefix, -zoon becomes zoo- or zo-, as in zooplankton or zooid. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles for zoo-, zo-, and -zoa.

In some instances, -zoa is made singular by adding an -n to the end of the word, rather than using the combining form -zoon, as in sporozoan.

Examples of -zoon

An example of a scientific term that features the form -zoon is ectozoon, “any animal parasite, as the louse, that lives on the surface of its host.”

The combining form ecto- means “outside” or “external,” from Greek ektós. As we have seen, -zoon means “organism.” Ectozoon literally translates to “external organism.”

What are some words that use the combining form –zoon?

• entozoon
• epizoon (using the equivalent form of -zoon in Latin)
• hematozoon
• protozoon (using the equivalent form of -zoon in Latin)
• spermatozoon (using the equivalent form of -zoon in Latin)

What are some other forms that –zoon may be commonly confused with?

• -oon
• -zygous

Break it down!

The combining form hemato- means “blood.” With this in mind, what does the scientific term hematozoon literally mean?