1828, from Modern Latin Protozoa, coined 1818 by German zoologist Georg August Goldfuss (1782-1848) from Greek prōtos "first" (see proto-) + zoia, plural of zoion "animal" (from PIE root *gwei- "to live"). Originally including sponges and corals; current sense is from 1845. Related: Protozoon (singular); Protozoan.
protoplanet
protoplasm
protostar
prototype
prototypical
Protozoa
protozoic
protract
protraction
protractor
protrude
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