INFUSORIA

Infusoria, subclass Infusoria

(noun) in some recent classifications, coextensive with the Ciliata: minute organisms found in decomposing infusions of organic matter

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Noun

infusoria

plural of infusorium

Source: Wiktionary


In`fu*so"ri*a, n. pl. Etym: [NL.; -- so called because found in infusions which are left exposed to the air for a time. See Infuse.] (Zoöl.)

Definition: One of the classes of Protozoa, including a large number of species, all of minute size.

Note: They are found in all seas, lakes, ponds, and streams, as well as in infusions of organic matter exposed to the air. They are distinguished by having vibrating lashes or cilia, with which they obtain their food and swim about.They are devided into the orders Flagellata, Ciliata, and Tentaculifera. See these words in the Vocabulary. Formely the term Infusoria was applied to all microscopic organisms found in water, including many minute plants, belonging to the diatoms, as well as minute animals belonging to various classes, as the Rotifera, which are worms; and the Rhizopoda, which constitute a distinct class of Protozoa. Fossil Infusoria are mostly the siliceous shells of diatoms; sometimes they are siliceous skeletons of Radiolaria, or the calcareous shells of Foraminifera.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

25 June 2025

DETENTION

(noun) a state of being confined (usually for a short time); “his detention was politically motivated”; “the prisoner is on hold”; “he is in the custody of police”


coffee icon

Coffee Trivia

Espresso is both a coffee beverage and a brewing method that originated in Italy. When making an espresso, a small amount of nearly boiling water under pressure forces through finely-ground coffee beans. It has more caffeine per unit volume than most coffee beverages. Its smaller serving size will take three shots to equal a mug of standard brewed coffee.

coffee icon