What is "multinucleate"

Multinucleate \Mul`ti*nu"cle*ate\, Multinucleated \Mul`ti*nu"cle*a`ted\, a. (Biol.) Multinuclear.

a. (context biology English) having more than one nucleus; multinuclear

adj. having two or more nuclei [ant: uninucleate]

Multinucleate cells (also called multinucleated or polynuclear cells) are eukaryotic cells that have more than one nucleus per cell, i.e., multiple nuclei share one common cytoplasm. Mitosis in multinucleate cells can occur either in a coordinated, synchronous manner where all nuclei divide simultaneously or asynchronously where individual nuclei divide independently in time and space. The multinucleate stage in the life cycle of some organisms is called plasmodium.

Although not normally viewed as a case of multinucleation, plant cells share a common cytoplasm by plasmodesmata, and most cells in animal tissues are in communication with their neighbors via gap junctions.