ameba

See also: améba, amēba, and amebą

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: ə-mēʹbə, IPA^(key): /əˈmiːbə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːbə

Noun

ameba (plural amebas or amebae)

1. (US) Alternative spelling of amoeba.

Usage notes

• Amoeba is the more widespread spelling of this word in the US.

Derived terms

• amebalike
• ameboma

Anagrams

• Ambae, abeam

Finnish

Alternative forms

• ameeba

Etymology

Learned borrowing from New Latin amēba, from Ancient Greek ἀμοιβή (amoibḗ).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑme(ː)bɑ/, [ˈɑ̝me̞(ː)bɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ɑmebɑ
• Syllabification^(key): a‧me‧ba
• Hyphenation^(key): ame‧ba

Noun

ameba

1. (biology) amoeba

Declension

Inflection of ameba (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)
nominative		ameba	amebat
genitive		ameban	amebojen
partitive		amebaa	ameboja
illative		amebaan	ameboihin
		singular	plural
nominative		ameba	amebat
accusative	nom.	ameba	amebat
	gen.	ameban
genitive		ameban	amebojen amebain rare
partitive		amebaa	ameboja
inessive		amebassa	ameboissa
elative		amebasta	ameboista
illative		amebaan	ameboihin
adessive		ameballa	ameboilla
ablative		amebalta	ameboilta
allative		ameballe	ameboille
essive		amebana	ameboina
translative		amebaksi	ameboiksi
abessive		amebatta	ameboitta
instructive		—	ameboin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of ameba (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative amebani amebani accusative nom. amebani amebani gen. amebani genitive amebani amebojeni amebaini rare partitive amebaani amebojani inessive amebassani ameboissani elative amebastani ameboistani illative amebaani ameboihini adessive ameballani ameboillani ablative amebaltani ameboiltani allative ameballeni ameboilleni essive amebanani ameboinani translative amebakseni ameboikseni abessive amebattani ameboittani instructive — — comitative — ameboineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative amebasi amebasi accusative nom. amebasi amebasi gen. amebasi genitive amebasi amebojesi amebaisi rare partitive amebaasi amebojasi inessive amebassasi ameboissasi elative amebastasi ameboistasi illative amebaasi ameboihisi adessive ameballasi ameboillasi ablative amebaltasi ameboiltasi allative ameballesi ameboillesi essive amebanasi ameboinasi translative amebaksesi ameboiksesi abessive amebattasi ameboittasi instructive — — comitative — ameboinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative amebamme amebamme accusative nom. amebamme amebamme gen. amebamme genitive amebamme amebojemme amebaimme rare partitive amebaamme amebojamme inessive amebassamme ameboissamme elative amebastamme ameboistamme illative amebaamme ameboihimme adessive ameballamme ameboillamme ablative amebaltamme ameboiltamme allative ameballemme ameboillemme essive amebanamme ameboinamme translative amebaksemme ameboiksemme abessive amebattamme ameboittamme instructive — — comitative — ameboinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative amebanne amebanne accusative nom. amebanne amebanne gen. amebanne genitive amebanne amebojenne amebainne rare partitive amebaanne amebojanne inessive amebassanne ameboissanne elative amebastanne ameboistanne illative amebaanne ameboihinne adessive ameballanne ameboillanne ablative amebaltanne ameboiltanne allative ameballenne ameboillenne essive amebananne ameboinanne translative amebaksenne ameboiksenne abessive amebattanne ameboittanne instructive — — comitative — ameboinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative amebansa amebansa accusative nom. amebansa amebansa gen. amebansa genitive amebansa amebojensa amebainsa rare partitive amebaansa amebojaan amebojansa inessive amebassaan amebassansa ameboissaan ameboissansa elative amebastaan amebastansa ameboistaan ameboistansa illative amebaansa ameboihinsa adessive ameballaan ameballansa ameboillaan ameboillansa ablative amebaltaan amebaltansa ameboiltaan ameboiltansa allative ameballeen ameballensa ameboilleen ameboillensa essive amebanaan amebanansa ameboinaan ameboinansa translative amebakseen amebaksensa ameboikseen ameboiksensa abessive amebattaan amebattansa ameboittaan ameboittansa instructive — — comitative — ameboineen ameboinensa

Derived terms

• amebamainen

Further reading

• “ameba”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2 July 2023

Indonesian

Etymology

From Dutch amoebe, from Ancient Greek ἀμοιβή (amoibḗ, “change”), referring to constantly changing shape of these organisms.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈameba]
• Hyphenation: amé‧ba

Noun

améba (plural ameba-ameba)

1. amoeba, ameba: a member of the genus Amoeba of unicellular protozoa that moves by means of temporary projections called pseudopodia

Alternative forms

• amuba, a variant that arose due to a misidentification of the digraph oe as coming from Dutch rather than Latin.

Further reading

• “ameba”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Italian

Etymology

From Latin amoeba (“change, alternation, transformation”), from Ancient Greek ἀμοιβή (amoibḗ, “change”), referring to constantly changing shape of these organisms.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈmɛ.ba/
• Rhymes: -ɛba
• Hyphenation: a‧mè‧ba

Noun

ameba f (plural amebe)

1. (biology) amoeba
2. (colloquial, derogatory) an unintelligent or spineless person

Derived terms

• amebico

Polish

Etymology

Internationalism; possibly borrowed from German Amöbe or English amoeba, ultimately from New Latin amoeba, from Ancient Greek ἀμοιβή (amoibḗ, “change”). First attested in the 19th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈmɛ.ba/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛba
• Syllabification: a‧me‧ba

Noun

ameba f

1. amoeba (member of the genus Amoeba)

   Synonym: pełzak

   maleńka ameba ― tiny amoeba

   zakażenie amebą ― infected by an amoeba

2. (more generally) amoeba, amoeboid (unicellular organism which has the ability to alter its shape)

   Synonym: pełzak

3. (colloquial, derogatory) amoeba (unintelligent or spineless person)

   kosmopolityczna ameba ― cosmopolitan amoeba

   ameba społeczna ― social amoeba

Declension

Declension of ameba

	singular	plural
nominative	ameba	ameby
genitive	ameby	ameb
dative	amebie	amebom
accusative	amebę	ameby
instrumental	amebą	amebami
locative	amebie	amebach
vocative	amebo	ameby

Derived terms

adjectives

• ameboidalny
• amebowaty
• amebowy

nouns

• amebocyt
• ameboza

Related terms

noun

• amebiaza

Further reading

• “ameba”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[2] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “ameba”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[3] (in Polish)

Portuguese

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἀμοιβή (amoibḗ, “change”), referring to constantly changing shape of these organisms.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /aˈmɛ.bɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /aˈmɛ.bɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /aˈmɛ.ba/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɐˈmɛ.bɐ/ [ɐˈmɛ.βɐ]

• Rhymes: -ɛbɐ

Noun

ameba f (plural amebas)

1. (biology) amoeba (a genus of unicellular protozoa)

Further reading

• “ameba”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “ameba”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2026, →ISBN
• “ameba”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Serbo-Croatian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aměːba/

Noun

améba f (Cyrillic spelling аме́ба)

1. amoeba

Declension

Declension of ameba

	singular	plural
nominative	ameba	amebe
genitive	amebe	ameba
dative	amebi	amebama
accusative	amebu	amebe
vocative	amebo	amebe
locative	amebi	amebama
instrumental	amebom	amebama

Spanish

Alternative forms

• amibo
• amiba

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἀμοιβή (amoibḗ).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈmeba/ [aˈme.β̞a]

• Audio (Venezuela):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eba
• Syllabification: a‧me‧ba

Noun

ameba f (plural amebas)

1. amoeba

Derived terms

• amebiano

Further reading

• “ameba”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Tagalog

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ʔaˈmeba/ [ʔɐˈmɛː.bɐ]
• Rhymes: -eba
• Syllabification: a‧me‧ba

Noun

ameba (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜋᜒᜊ)

1. alternative form of amiba

Welsh

Etymology

Borrowed from English amoeba.

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /aˈmɛba/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /aˈmeːba/, /aˈmɛba/

Noun

ameba m (plural amebas or amebâu)

1. amoeba

Mutation

Mutated forms of ameba

radical	soft	nasal	h-prothesis
ameba	unchanged	unchanged	hameba

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.