[ prəʊ'karɪəʊt , -ɒt ]
(also procaryote )
■ noun Biology a single-celled organism with neither a distinct nucleus with a membrane nor other specialized structures (i.e. a bacterium or archaean). Compare with eukaryote .
Derivatives
prokaryotic adjective
Origin
1960s: from pro- 2 + Gk karuon 'nut, kernel' + -ote as in zygote .