microcharacter

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UK/ˈmaɪkɹəʊˌkæɹəktə//ˈmaɪkɹoʊˌkɛɹəktɚ/

noun

A character, or distinguishing trait, observable via microscopy.

OriginEnglish character ← Middle English caracter ← Old French caractere →
Scrabble 25
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Meanings

nounmicrocharacter (plural microcharacters)

plural microcharacters

  1. biologyA character, or distinguishing trait, observable via microscopy.

    The most important microcharacters involve spore size and shape and whether the spores are amyloid or non-amyloid, that is whether or not they turn blue in Melzer’s solution.

    1980, Derek A. Reid, A monograph of the Australian species of Amanita Pers. ex. Hook

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*mey-der.?
  2. Ancient Greekμῑκρός (mīkrós)
  3. Ancient Greekμῑκρο- (mīkro-)
  4. Englishmicro-
  5. Ancient Greekχαράσσω (kharássō)
  6. Ancient Greekχαρακτήρ (kharaktḗr)
  7. Latincharactēr
  8. Old Frenchcaractere
  9. Middle Englishcaracter
  10. Englishcharacter
  11. Englishmicrocharacter

From micro- (“revealed by microscopic examination”) + character (“a distinguishing feature of a taxon”).

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

microcharacter. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/microcharacter

MLA

“microcharacter.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/microcharacter. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “microcharacter,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/microcharacter.

Source: microcharacter on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.