cephalont Zool.
(ˈsɛfələnt)
[f. cephal- + Gr. ὀντ-, ὤν, pres. pple. of εἶναι to be, exist.]
A protozoan parasite at the stage of development in which an epimerite is attached to the anterior cyst.
| 1885 Encycl. Brit. XIX. 854/1 The epimerite serves to attach the parasite to its host... The phase in which it is present is called a ‘cephalont’, the phase after it has broken off a ‘sporont’. 1888 [see cephalin1]. 1961 Mackinnon & Hawes Introd. Study Protozoa iii. 183 Such fully developed trophozoites are called cephalonts. |