archaea
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
archaea /ɑːˈkiːə/
▶plural noun Biology microorganisms which are similar to bacteria in size and simplicity of structure but constitute an ancient group intermediate between the bacteria and eukaryotes.
– derivatives
archaean adjective & noun.
archaean adjective & noun.
– origin mod. L., from Gk arkhaios ‘primitive’.
'archaea' also found in these Oxford entries:
