PLASMODIUM

n. (pl. plasmodia) 1 any parasitic protozoan of the genus Plasmodium, including those causing malaria in man. 2 a form within the life cycle of various micro-organisms including slime moulds, usu. consisting of a mass of naked protoplasm containing many nuclei. øøplasmodial adj. [mod.L f. PLASMA(1) + - odium: see -ODE(1)]