Meanings
plural paramecia · plural parameciums
- An oval-shaped protozoan organism of the genus Paramecium.
The sun beats on his eyelids; inside them a paramecium revolves. A blink and it changes pattern like a kaleidoscope.
1983, Robert Drewe, The Bodysurfers, Penguin 2009, page 1441 more example
Edgar noticed that Clyde was wearing a necktie with a driblet design. The little figures made him think of paramecia, sinister organisms with gullets and feeding grooves.
1997, Don DeLillo, Underworld, 2003 edition, →ISBN, page 560Synonyms: slipper animalcule
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn oval-shaped protozoan organism of the genus Paramecium.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekπαραμήκης“oval”
- Englishparamecium
From Ancient Greek παραμήκης (paramḗkēs, “oval”), from μῆκος (mêkos, “length”).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian чехълче
- чехълче (čehălče)organism
Catalan parameci
- parameciorganism
Chinese Mandarin 草履蟲 /草履虫
- 草履蟲 /草履虫 (cǎolǚchóng)organism
Dutch pantoffeldiertje
- pantoffeldiertjeorganism
Finnish tohvelieläin
- tohvelieläinorganism
French paramécie
- paramécieorganism
German Pantoffeltierchen
- Pantoffeltierchenorganism
Hebrew סנדלית
- סנדלית (sandalít)organism
Hungarian papucsállatka
- papucsállatkaorganism
Irish paraiméiciam
- paraiméiciamorganism
Italian paramecio
- paramecioorganism
Japanese 草履虫
- 草履虫 (zōrimushi)organism
Korean 짚신벌레
- 짚신벌레 (jipsinbeolle)organism
Latin paramecium
- parameciumorganism
Malay paramesium, haiwan kasut
- paramesiumorganism
- haiwan kasutorganism
Persian پارامسی
- پارامسی (pârâmesi)organism
Polish pantofelek
- pantofelekorganism
Portuguese paramécio
- paramécioorganism
Russian параме́ция
- параме́ция (paramécija)organism
Spanish paramecio
- paramecioorganism
Swedish toffeldjur
- toffeldjurorganism
Tagalog paramesyo
- paramesyoorganism
Turkish terliksi hayvan, paramesyum
- terliksi hayvanorganism
- paramesyumorganism
Vietnamese trùng đế giày, trùng giày
- trùng đế giàyorganism
- trùng giàyorganism
Cite this entry
paramecium. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paramecium
“paramecium.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paramecium. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “paramecium,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paramecium.
Source: paramecium on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.