/zoh"oyd/ , Biol.
n.
1. any organic body or cell capable of spontaneous movement and of an existence more or less apart from or independent of the parent organism.
2. any animal organism or individual capable of separate existence, and produced by fission, gemmation, or some method other than direct sexual reproduction.
3. any one of the recognizably distinct individuals or elements of a compound or colonial animallike organism, whether or not detached or detachable.
adj.
4. Also, zooidal . pertaining to, resembling, or of the nature of an animal.
[ 1850-55; ZO- + -OID ]