Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Any of various ciliate protozoans of the genus Vorticella, having a bell-shaped body and living underwater on a slender stalk often attached to a plant or other object.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The typical genus of Vorticellidæ, having a retractile pedicel; the bellanimalcules.

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

  • noun (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of ciliated Infusoria belonging to Vorticella and many other genera of the family Vorticellidæ. They have a more or less bell-shaped body with a circle of vibrating cilia around the oral disk. Most of the species have slender, contractile stems, either simple or branched.

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

  • noun any of various protozoa having a transparent goblet-shaped body with a retractile stalk

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[New Latin Vorticella, genus name, from Latin vortex, vortic-, vortex; see vortex.]

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Examples

  • Dr.H. Charlton Bastian has also stated that, in spite of much observation, he has never seen the process in _vorticella_.

    On the Genesis of Species St. George Mivart

  • At the end of each branch is situated an infusorian (vorticella), and the whole colony represents in itself the genealogical family tree.

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

  • Thus the vorticella or wheel animal, which is found in rain water that has stood some days in leaden gutters, or in hollows of lead on the taps of houses, or in the slime or sediment left by such water, though it discovers no sign of life except when in the water, yet it is capable of continuing alive for many months though kept in

    Note I 1803

  • Animal nutrition; vegetable; some organic particles have appetencies to unite, others propensities to be united; buds of trees; sexual reproduction; analogy between generation and nutrition; laws of elasticity not understood; dead animalcules recover life by heat and moisture; chaos redivivum; vorticella; shell snails; eggs and seeds; hydra.

    Contents 1803

  • Thus the vorticella or wheel animal, which is found in rain water that has stood some days in leaden gutters, or in hollows of lead on the tops of houses, or in the slime or sediment left by such water, though it discovers no sign of life except when in the water, yet it is capable of continuing alive for many months though kept in a dry state.

    The Temple of Nature; or, the Origin of Society A Poem, with Philosophical Notes Erasmus Darwin 1766

  • Animal nutrition; vegetable; some organic particles have appetencies to unite, others propensities to be united; buds of trees; sexual reproduction: analogy between generation and nutrition; laws of elasticity not understood; dead animalcules recover life by heat and moisture; chaos redivivum; vorticella; shell-snails; eggs and seeds: hydra.

    The Temple of Nature; or, the Origin of Society A Poem, with Philosophical Notes Erasmus Darwin 1766

  • I found all sorts of life in it, but only posted images of a vorticella.

    WN.com - Articles related to How clean is Seattle's drinking water? 2010

  • I found all sorts of life in it, but only posted images of a vorticella.

    WN.com - Articles related to How clean is Seattle's drinking water? 2010

  • Vorticella Ciliates - Though they are frequently present in groups, each vorticella possesses its own unciliated stalk.

    unknown title 2009

  • Vorticella Ciliates - Though they are frequently present in groups, each vorticella possesses its own unciliated stalk.

    unknown title 2009

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