sporozoite

noun

spo·​ro·​zo·​ite ˌspȯr-ə-ˈzō-ˌīt How to pronounce sporozoite (audio)
: a usually motile infective form of some sporozoans that is a product of sporogony and initiates an asexual cycle in the new host

Examples of sporozoite in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web At that point, the parasites are squiggly critters called sporozoites. Andrew Joseph, STAT, 1 Aug. 2024 The bite of an infected mosquito sends immature parasites called sporozoites into the bloodstream. Lauran Neergaard, Fortune, 17 Jan. 2020 Mosquirix, developed in the 1980s by a team in Belgium at SmithKline-RIT, now part of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), stimulates an immune response against a protein that occurs only on the sporozoites' surface. Jop De Vrieze, Science | AAAS, 26 Nov. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sporozoite.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Sporozoa + International Scientific Vocabulary -ite

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sporozoite was in 1888

Dictionary Entries Near sporozoite

Cite this Entry

“Sporozoite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sporozoite. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.

Medical Definition

sporozoite

noun
spo·​ro·​zo·​ite -ˈzō-ˌīt How to pronounce sporozoite (audio)
: a usually motile infective form of some sporozoans (as the malaria parasite) that is a product of sporogony and initiates an asexual cycle in the new host

More from Merriam-Webster on sporozoite

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!