zoon

Z10O1O1N1
UK/ˈzəʊɒn/

noun

A distinct organism.

Opposite
zooid
OriginNew Latin zōon ← Ancient Greek ζῷον (zōîon) ← Proto-Hellenic *d͏̌ōwós →
UncommonScrabble 13
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounzoon (plural zoa or zoons)

plural zoa · plural zoons · alternative zoön

  1. biologyA distinct organism.
  2. biologyAny individual produced from a single egg.
  3. biologyThe individuals collectively produced from a single egg, also called a compound animal.
  4. uncommonbiologyAny of the individuals of a compound organism.
  5. rarebiologyZooid.

Synonyms & antonyms

antonym(s) of “an animal which is the sole product of a single egg”

Opposite
zooid

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*gʷeyh₃-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*gʷyéh₃-w-os
  3. Proto-Hellenic*d͏̌ōwós
  4. Ancient Greekζωός (zōós)
  5. Ancient Greekζώῐ̈ον (zṓĭ̈on)
  6. Ancient Greekζῷον (zōîon)
  7. New Latinzōon
  8. Englishzoon

First adopted by Herbert Spencer in Principles of Biology (see 1864 quotation): from New Latin zōon, from Ancient Greek ζῷον (zōîon, “animal”).

More words from New Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

zoon. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zoon

MLA

“zoon.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zoon. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “zoon,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zoon.

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