Etymology

acanthamoeba

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Today it means: Any amoeba of the genus Acanthamoeba, found chiefly in soil. Full definition →

First used First attested in the mid 20th century.
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The story

From acanth- (“thorny”) + amoeba.

First known use, by meaning

  • First attested in the mid 20th century. Any amoeba of the genus Acanthamoeba, found chiefly in soil.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.