noun pl. flagella or flagellums
- a whip
- Biol. a whiplike part or process of some cells, esp. of certain bacteria, protozoans, etc., that is an organ of locomotion or produces a current in the surrounding fluid
- Bot. a threadlike shoot or runner
- Zool. the terminal, lashlike portion of the antenna in many insects
Origin:
L, a whip: see flagellate