zooglea

zo·o·gloe·a

also zo·o·gle·a  (zō′ə-glē′ə)

n. pl. zo·o·gloe·ae (-glē′ē′) or zo·o·gloe·as also zo·o·gle·ae (-glē′ē′) or zo·o·gle·as

1. Any of various highly motile, aerobic bacteria of the genus Zoogloea found especially in wastewater, where the cells aggregate into flocculent, gelatinous masses.

2. A mass of such bacteria or other bacteria.

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[zoo- + New Latin gloea, gum (from Medieval Greek gloia, glia, gum, glue, from Greek gloios).]

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zo′o·gloe′al adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

zo•o•gle•a

or zo•o•gloe•a

(ˌzoʊ əˈgli ə)

n., pl. -gle•as or -gloe•as, -gle•ae or -gloe•ae (-ˈgli i)

a jellylike mass of microorganisms.

[1875–80; zoo- + New Latin gloea gum < Greek gloía glue]

zo`o•gle′al, adj.

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.