Meanings
nounprokaryote (plural prokaryotes)
plural prokaryotes
- An organism whose cell (or cells) are characterized by the absence of a nucleus or any other membrane-bound organelles.
- In the two-empire system of biological taxonomy, an organism of the kingdom Prokaryotae (now superseded).
Synonyms & antonyms
Similar
prokaryota
nouna unicellular organism having cells lacking membrane-bound nuclei; bacteria are the prime example but also included are blue-green algae and actinomycetes and mycoplasma
Similar
Opposite
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*per-der.?
- Proto-Indo-European*pér
- Proto-Indo-European*pró
- Ancient Greekπρό (pró)
- Englishpro-
- Englishkaryon
- Englishprokaryote
Translations
Arabic بِدَائِيَّات النَّوَى
- بِدَائِيَّات النَّوَى (bidāʔiyyāt an-nawā)organism characterized by absence of nucleus
Catalan procariota
- procariotaorganism characterized by absence of nucleus
Chinese Cantonese 原核生物
- 原核生物organism characterized by absence of nucleus
Chinese Mandarin 原核生物
- 原核生物 (yuánhéshēngwù)organism characterized by absence of nucleus
Dutch prokaryoot
- prokaryootorganism characterized by absence of nucleus
Finnish prokaryootti, prokariootti
- prokaryoottiorganism characterized by absence of nucleus
- prokarioottiorganism characterized by absence of nucleus
- alkeistumallinenorganism characterized by absence of nucleus
- esitumainenorganism characterized by absence of nucleus
- tumatonorganism characterized by absence of nucleus
French procaryote
- procaryoteorganism characterized by absence of nucleus
German Prokaryot
- Prokaryotorganism characterized by absence of nucleus
Greek προκαρυώτης
- προκαρυώτης (prokaryótis)organism characterized by absence of nucleus
Hungarian prokarióta
- prokariótaorganism characterized by absence of nucleus
Icelandic dreifkjörnungur
- dreifkjörnungurorganism characterized by absence of nucleus
Italian procariote
- procarioteorganism characterized by absence of nucleus
Japanese 原核生物
- 原核生物 (genkaku-seibutsu)organism characterized by absence of nucleus
Korean 원핵생물
- 원핵생물 (wonhaeksaengmul)organism characterized by absence of nucleus
Latin prokaryota
- prokaryotaorganism characterized by absence of nucleus
Polish prokariont
- prokariontorganism characterized by absence of nucleus
Portuguese procarionte, procarioto
- procarionteorganism characterized by absence of nucleus
- procariotoorganism characterized by absence of nucleus
Romanian procariot
- procariotorganism characterized by absence of nucleus
Russian прокарио́та
- прокарио́та (prokarióta)organism characterized by absence of nucleus
Spanish procariota, procarionte
- procariotaorganism characterized by absence of nucleus
- procarionteorganism characterized by absence of nucleus
Swedish prokaryot
- prokaryotorganism characterized by absence of nucleus
Turkish prokaryot
- prokaryotorganism characterized by absence of nucleus
Vietnamese sinh vật nhân sơ
- sinh vật nhân sơorganism characterized by absence of nucleus
Welsh procaryot
- procaryotorganism characterized by absence of nucleus
Cite this entry
APA
prokaryote. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prokaryote
MLA
“prokaryote.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prokaryote. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “prokaryote,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prokaryote.
Source: prokaryote on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.