ärˈkēə noun plural
Etymology: New Latin, from Greek archaia , neuter plural of archaios ancient — more at archae-
1. capitalized : a domain of primitive microorganisms comprising the archaebacteria when considered as equal in taxonomic rank to the other prokaryotes and to the eukaryotes
2. : microorganisms belonging to the domain Archaea
• ar·chae·al -ˈkēəl adjective
• ar·chae·an -ˈkēən adjective or noun