Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “multicellular” come from?

Multicellular comes from English cellular combined with the Latin prefix multi-, from Latin multus meaning "much" or "many," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European mel- meaning "to grind" or "crush."

multicellular (English): That has many cells, often differentiated in...

Definitions

  1. That has many cells, often differentiated in...

Ancestry of “multicellular”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishmulti-More than one; pertaining to more than one thing;...
2EnglishmultiA multituberculate; Neolamprologus multifasciatus
3EnglishmultituberculateHaving molars with multiple rows of cusps; Any of...
4EnglishtuberculateHaving tubercles; Tubercular
5Latintuberculatuswarty, tuberculate
6Latintūberculum—
7Latintūber—
8Proto-Italictūβos—
9Proto-Indo-Europeantewh₂-to swell; to crowd; to be strong
Every word from Proto-Indo-European tewh₂- →