prokaryote
noun/ˌprəʊˈkæriəʊt/
/ˌprəʊˈkæriəʊt/
(also procaryote)
(biology)- an organism (= living thing) consisting of just one cell that does not have a clear nucleus (= central part). Most prokaryotes are bacteria. compare eukaryoteTopics Biologyc2Word Origin1960s: from pro- ‘before’ + Greek karuon ‘nut, kernel’ + -ote as in zygote.
Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
Check pronunciation:
prokaryote