Acrasis

noun

Acra·​sis ə-ˈkrā-səs How to pronounce Acrasis (audio)
: a genus of cellular slime molds (the type of the family Acrasiaceae) of the order Acrasiales having amoeboid cells produced from spores and aggregated without fusion into a pseudoplasmodium and having a fruiting body, often with a sterile stalklike portion, formed by rounding up and contraction of the pseudoplasmodium

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, from a- a- entry 2 + Greek krásis "mixing, combination" (alluding to the lack of cellular fusion when forming fruiting bodies)

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Acrasis was in 1890

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Cite this Entry

“Acrasis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Acrasis. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

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