Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • One of the kingdoms of animated nature, which Haeckel proposed (1868) to include the Protozoa and the Protophyta, or the lowest animals and plants as collectively distinguished from other organisms.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun plural (Zoöl.) A provisional group in which are placed a number of low microscopic organisms of doubtful nature. Some are probably plants, others animals.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun eukaryotic one-celled living organisms distinct from multicellular plants and animals: protozoa, slime molds, and eukaryotic algae

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Metazoans (multicellular organisms) are commonly distinguished from colonies of protista, somewhat arbitrarily, on the basis of their having more than one functional type of non-reproducing cell; but the question of by what criteria multicellular bodies can properly be considered individual organisms, as more than a matter of convenience or convention, has not been decisively raised.

    Individuals, societies, and the classification of organisms 2007

  • Häckel's labors rendered still greater service to the Darwinian theory by dividing the organic world into three kingdoms: the protista kingdom, the vegetable kingdom, and the animal kingdom, -- a division which solves in a most simple way the difficulty that was felt more and more of securing for the lowest organisms a place among the animals or plants.

    The Theories of Darwin and Their Relation to Philosophy, Religion, and Morality Rudolf Schmid

  • He further aided the theory by leaving the choice open to adopt either a uniform or multiform pedigree of the organisms and their kingdoms and classes, and by treating each class under both points of view; and finally, by fascinating experiments to bring before us in detail the hypothetical pedigrees of all classes of organisms from the protista kingdom up to man.

    The Theories of Darwin and Their Relation to Philosophy, Religion, and Morality Rudolf Schmid

  • Cambrian formation in North America, is really an organism and not an inorganic form, the earliest vestiges of animal life we can find are the rhizopodes or foraminifera; and these organisms belong to the lowest stage of life -- to that stage which forms a kind of undeveloped intermediate member between the vegetable and animal kingdom, Häckel's kingdom of the protista.

    The Theories of Darwin and Their Relation to Philosophy, Religion, and Morality Rudolf Schmid

  • Among certain infusoria and other protista, they do, in fact, remain together and build up branching colonies.

    Scientific American Supplement, No. 810, July 11, 1891 Various

  • From protozoa or protista to plants and animals the graduation is closer than from magnetised iron to vitalised sarcode.

    The World's Greatest Books — Volume 15 — Science Various 1909

  • An example for each of the 5 kingdoms: plantae, fungi, animalia, protista and prokaryote? en Español

    Yahoo! Answers: Latest Questions 2010

  • Although the mechanism had not been recognized before, the scientists were intrigued to find evidence of a similar mechanism in all five kingdoms of life - animals, plants, fungi, protista, and monera.

    innovations-report 2010

  • For many years this unique protista was believed to be a part of fungi, becuase of its close resemblance.

    CreationWiki - Recent changes [en] 2009

  • For many years this unique protista was believed to be a part of fungi, becuase of its close resemblance.

    CreationWiki - Recent changes [en] 2009

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