slime mold

noun

1. any of various funguslike organisms belonging to the phylum Myxomycota, of the kingdom Protista (or the plant class Myxomycetes), characterized by a noncellular, multinucleate, creeping somatic phase and a propagative phase in which fruiting bodies are produced bearing spores that are covered by cell walls.
2. any of several similar organisms of the phylum Acrasiomycota (or class Acrasiomycetes), differing from the true slime molds in being cellular and nucleate throughout the life cycle.

slime mold

1. Any of various organisms that exist as slimy masses and are commonly found on decaying plant matter. They are classified among the protists as two distinct phyla, Dictyolsteliomycota (the cellular slime molds) and Myxomycota (the plasmodial slime molds). The two phyla are not directly related to each other.
2. ◆ Cellular slime molds live as single, amoeba-like cells moving about feeding on bacteria. When food becomes scarce, they combine into a large, slug-like, mobile colony. This migrates to a new area before developing into a multicellular stalked structure that produces and releases spores. Each spore then develops into a new amoeba-like cell.
3. ◆ Plasmodial slime molds exist as a mass of amoeba-like protoplasm (called a plasmodium) that contains many nuclei within a single cell membrane. A single organism can spread out thinly and cover up to several square meters. The slimy mass moves along ingesting bacteria, fungi, and other organic matter. When food grows scarce, they stop moving and grow multicellular, spore-producing stalks. The plasmodial slime molds are also called myxomycetes.

Word History and Origins

Origin of slime mold¹

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

Because one could imagine a conclusion whereby humans are stupider than slime mold, which I think we would agree on most dimensions is probably not true.

From Freakonomics

This slime mold, which is tasked with trying to find its way through a maze.

From Freakonomics

What happens is that the slime mold sort of gets stuck in what we call a local minimum.

From Freakonomics

Ravenous, single-celled slime molds, meanwhile, appear to make decisions and solve problems in their quest for nutrition, which encourages us to rethink our understanding of what “thinking” is.

From Washington Post

The products of future technological evolution could surpass humans by as much as we have surpassed slime mold.

From Nautilus