nitroplast

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/ˈnaɪtɹəʊˌplæst/

noun

A nitrogen-fixing organelle, found in certain marine algae.

OriginAncient Greek πλᾰστός (plăstós) ← English nitro- ← Egyptian nṯrj →
Scrabble 12
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Meanings

nounnitroplast (plural nitroplasts)

plural nitroplasts

  1. biologyA nitrogen-fixing organelle, found in certain marine algae.

    These findings show that UCYN-A has evolved from a symbiont to a eukaryotic organelle for nitrogen fixation—the nitroplast—thereby expanding a function that was thought to be exclusively carried out by prokaryotic cells to eukaryotes..

    2024 April 11, Ramon Massana, “The nitroplast: A nitrogen-fixing organelle”, in Science

Origin

  1. Egyptiannṯrj
  2. Ancient Greekνῐ́τρον (nĭ́tron)
  3. Englishnitro-
  4. Ancient Greekπλᾰστός (plăstós)
  5. Englishnitroplast

From nitro- + -plast, appearing in scientific literature from 2024.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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