Meanings
nounprotometabolism (uncountable)
- uncountablechemistryA series of linked chemical reactions, in a prebiotic environment, that has characteristics of true metabolism.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*per-der.?
- Proto-Indo-European*pér
- Proto-Indo-European*pró
- Ancient Greekπρό (pró)
- Ancient Greekπρῶτος (prôtos)
- Ancient Greekπρωτο- (prōto-)
- Englishproto-
- Proto-Indo-European*me
- Proto-Indo-European*meth₂?
- Ancient Greekμετᾰ́ (metắ)
- Ancient Greekμετα- (meta-)
- Proto-Indo-European*gʷelH-
- Proto-Hellenic*gʷəlnō
- Ancient Greekβάλλω (bállō)
- Ancient Greekμεταβάλλω (metabállō)
- Ancient Greekμετᾰβολή (metăbolḗ)
- Englishmetabolism
- Englishprotometabolism
From proto- + metabolism.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
protometabolism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/protometabolism
MLA
“protometabolism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/protometabolism. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “protometabolism,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/protometabolism.
Source: protometabolism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.