protist

[proh-tist] /ˈproʊ tɪst/
noun
1.
any of various one-celled organisms, classified in the kingdom Protista, that are either free-living or aggregated into simple colonies and that have diverse reproductive and nutritional modes, including the protozoans, eukaryotic algae, and slime molds: some classification schemes also include the fungi and the more primitive bacteria and blue-green algae or may distribute the organisms between the kingdoms Plantae and Animalia according to dominant characteristics.
Origin
1885-90; < Neo-Latin Protista (neuter plural) name of the kingdom < Greek prṓtistos (masculine singular) the very first, superlative of prôtos first; see proto-
Related forms
protistan
[proh-tis-tuh n] /proʊˈtɪs tən/ (Show IPA), adjective, noun
protistic, adjective
British Dictionary definitions for protist

protist

/ˈprəʊtɪst/
noun
1.
(in some classification systems) any organism belonging to the kingdom Protista, originally including bacteria, protozoans, algae, and fungi, regarded as distinct from plants and animals. It was later restricted to protozoans, unicellular algae, and simple fungi See also protoctist
Word Origin
C19: from New Latin Protista most primitive organisms, from Greek prōtistos the very first, from prōtos first
Word Origin and History for protist
n.

1869, from Modern Latin Protista (German Protisten, Haeckel, 1868), from Greek neuter plural of protistos "the very first," superlative of protos "first" (see proto-).

protist in Medicine

protist pro·tist (prō'tĭst)
n.
A unicellular, eukaroytic organism belonging to the former taxonomic kingdom Protista.

protist in Science
protist
  (prō'tĭst)   
Any of a large variety of usually one-celled organisms belonging to the kingdom Protista (or Protoctista). Protists are eukaryotes and live in water or in watery tissues of organisms. Some protists resemble plants in that they produce their own food by photosynthesis, while others resemble animals in consuming organic matter for food. Protist cells are often structurally much more elaborate than the cells of multicellular plants and animals. Protists include the protozoans, most algae, diatoms, oomycetes, and the slime molds. Also called protoctist. See Table at taxonomy.