-_nəs noun
Etymology: New Latin, from lept- + -monas
1. capitalized : a genus of flagellates of the family Trypanosomatidae that are parasites especially of the digestive tract of insects and that occur as elongated flagellates with anterior flagellum and no undulating membrane but also pass through stages indistinguishable from intracellular crithidias and leishmanias
2. -es
a. : any flagellate of the genus Leptomonas
b. : a flagellate of the family Trypanosomatidae when exhibiting a typical leptomonad form