Noun: prokaryote ,prow'ker-ee,owt [N. Amer], ,prow'ka-ree,owt [Brit]
- A single-celled organism lacking membrane-bound nuclei and organelles; bacteria and archaea are the main examples
"Prokaryotes were the first forms of life on Earth";
- procaryote [rare]
Derived forms: prokaryotes
Encyclopedia: Prokaryote