[ prəʊ'tɪst(ə)n ]
■ noun Biology a member of the Protista, a kingdom or large grouping of typically single-celled organisms including the protozoans, slime moulds, and simple algae and fungi.
■ adjective relating to ~s.
Derivatives
protist 'prəʊtɪst noun
protistology noun
Origin
from mod. L. Protista , from Gk prōtista , neut. plural of prōtistos 'very first'.