vorticella

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: vor=ti=cel=la

CIDE DICTIONARY

vorticella, n. [NL., dim. fr. L. vortex. See Vortex.].

 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.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

vorticella, n. any sedentary protozoan of the family Vorticellidae, consisting of a tubular stalk with a bell-shaped ciliated opening.

Etymology

mod.L, dimin. of VORTEX