" Zoology . Of a ciliate: having the cilia confined to a spiral band around the oral opening; belonging to the subclass or order Peritricha", Late 19th cent.; earliest use found in Thomas Huxley (1825–1895), biologist and science educationist. From peri- + -trichous. In sense 1 after scientific Latin Peritricha.[peritrichous etymology, peritrichous origin, 英语词源]