noun
or ce·no·bi·um sə̇ˈnōbēəm, sē-
( plural coeno·bia or ceno·bia -ēə)
Etymology: Late Latin coenobium — more at cenoby
1. : cenoby
2. also coe·nobe or ce·nobe ˈsē(ˌ)nōb, ˈse(ˌ)- -s
[New Latin, from Late Latin]
: a usually spherical colony of unicellular organisms surrounded by a common investment ; especially : a colony having a definite number and specific arrangement of cells