ˌhed.əˈrä.trə̇kə noun plural
Usage: capitalized
Etymology: New Latin, from heter- + -tricha
: a suborder of Spirotricha comprising ciliate protozoans that have uniform or reduced ciliation but no cirri and containing free-living organisms (as members of the genus Stentor ) as well as commensals and parasites of vertebrate intestines — see balantidium