Etymology

zooid

Z10O1O1I1D2

Today it means: An organic body or cell having locomotion, as a spermatic cell or spermatozoid. Full definition →

Ancient Greek εἶδος (eîdos) ← Proto-Hellenic *wéidos ← Proto-Indo-European *wéydos
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*gʷeyh₃-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*gʷyéh₃-w-os
  3. Proto-Hellenic*d͏̌ōwós
  4. Ancient Greekζωός (zōós)
  5. Ancient Greekζώῐ̈ον (zṓĭ̈on)
  6. Ancient Greekζῷον (zōîon)
  7. Englishzoo-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*weyd-
  9. Proto-Indo-European*wéydos
  10. Proto-Hellenic*wéidos
  11. Ancient Greekεἶδος (eîdos)
  12. English todayzooid

From zoo- + -oid. Compare Ancient Greek ζῴδιον (zōídion, “animal”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.