flagellum

Etymology

From Latin flagellum (“whip”), diminutive of flagrum, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰlag- (“to strike”).

noun

  1. (biology) In protists, a long, whiplike membrane-enclosed organelle used for locomotion or feeding.
  2. (biology) In bacteria, a long, whiplike proteinaceous appendage, used for locomotion.
  3. A whip

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