infusorium

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a microscopic aquatic organism, especially a protozoan or unicellular alga, formerly grouped with organisms found in infusions; historical biology

   The nineteenth-century text describes an infusorium observed in a drop of pond water.

New Latin infusorium, a singular back-formation from Infusoria, the former name for microscopic organisms observed in plant infusions. The name is ultimately connected with Latin infundere 'to pour in.'

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