Meaning

noun a usually nonphotosynthetic free-living protozoan with whiplike appendages; some are pathogens of humans and other animals

verb whip

adjective having or resembling a lash or whip (as does a flagellum)

originEtymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₂-? Proto-Indo-European *-rós Latin flagrum Proto-Indo-European *-lós Proto-Indo-European *-elós Proto-Italic *-elos Latin -lum Latin flagellum Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin flagellō Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Italic *-tos Latin -tus Latin…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0