lichen en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈlaɪ.kən/
- /ˈlɪtʃ.ən/ spelling pronunciation
- (UK) audio
- lī'kən
- lĭ'chən
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin līchēn, from Ancient Greek λειχήν (leikhḗn), from λείχω (leíkhō, “to lick”). Originally used of liverwort; the modern sense first recorded 1715.
Meanings
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(countable, uncountable) Any of many symbiotic organisms, being associations of algae and fungi, often found as white or yellow-to-blue–green patches on rocks, old walls, etc.
It was the same rich green that one sees on forest moss or on the lichen in caves: plants which like these grow in a perpetual twilight.
1895 May 29, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, chapter XI, in The Time Machine: An Invention, London: William Heinemann, →OCLC:The nibble marks of the stone adze were still visible, though crusted over with scale lichens in most places.
1915, John Muir, chapter V, in Travels in Alaska:The Beaches of Lukannon–the winter wheat so tall, / The dripping, crinkled lichens, and the sea-fog drenching all!
1894 May, Rudyard Kipling, “Lukannon”, in The Jungle Book, London; New York, N.Y.: Macmillan and Co., published June 1894, →OCLC, page 122:
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(countable, figuratively, uncountable) Something which gradually spreads across something else, causing damage.
Meanwhile, abiding a day of judgment, she fought ceaselessly to deny the bitter drops in her cup, to tear back the slow, the intangibly slow growth of a hot, corrosive lichen eating into her heart.
1912 January, Zane Grey, “Shadows on the Sage-slope”, in Riders of the Purple Sage […], New York, N.Y.; London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, →OCLC, page 202:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| lichen | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| lichens | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
British soldiers lichen · cup lichen · lichenized · lichenism · antler lichen · gold lichen · chlorolichen · jelly lichen · saxicolous lichen · script lichen · letter lichen · tube lichen · beard lichen · horsetail lichen · cracked lichen · stone lichen · lung lichen · lichenometry · lichenlike · lichenography · needle lichen · lichenisation · orange lichen · vagrant lichen · manna lichen · discolichen · cephalolichen · leaf lichen · coral lichen · lichenose · lichen sclerosus · lichenless · globe lichen · epiphyllous lichen · dog lichen · Wilson's lichen · snow lichen · horsehair lichen · ascolichen · Iceland lichen · lichenous · byssoid lichen · gelatinous lichen · lichenographical · reindeer lichen · jewel lichen · sea lichen · lichen simplex chronicus · cyanolichen · placodioid lichen · lichen planus · blister lichen · lichenize · lecanorine lichen · lichenify · lichenicolous · rim lichen · lichenologist · firedot lichen · dust lichen · lichenin · leprose lichen · pin lichen · terricolous lichen · lichenographic · comma lichen · lichened · edible lichen · lichenic · antilichen · lichenaceous · filamentous lichen · lichenification · endolithic lichen · licheniform · crustose lichen · tropical lichen · equine tropical lichen · squamulose lichen · lichenivorous · stubble lichen · corticolous lichen · lichenist · cobblestone lichen · sunburst lichen · licheny · lichen moth · thrush lichen · string-of-sausage lichen · earth lichen · goldspeck lichen · borderline lichen · lichenoid · lichenization · lichenology · map lichen · glyphis lichen · wolf lichen · basidolichen · macrolichen · lichenographist · foliose lichen · fruticose lichen · socket lichen · lichen spinulosus · lichenase · lichenographer · crustose placodioid lichen · lichenal · ball lichen
Hyponyms
microlichen (symbiotic organism) · macrolichen (symbiotic organism)
Synonyms
Translations (101)
ms liken (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · is flétta (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · mi angiangi (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · tr liken (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · th ตะไคร่ (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · th ตะไคร่น้ำ (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · ja 地衣類 (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · ro lichen (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · mk лишај (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · eu liken (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · es liquen (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · sl lišaj (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · mi mūna (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · ar حَزَاز (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · pl porost (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · sv lav (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · az şibyə (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · pl liszaj (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · mn ᠬᠠᠭ ᠡᠪᠡᠰᠦ (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · kk қына (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · cjs сырынма (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · fr lichen (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · th หญ้าม็อส (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · ota مانطار (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · fi jäkälä (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · izh kantosammal (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · tl ligbus (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · gl orcelo (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · fur lichil (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · hi शैक (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · ga léicean (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · izh kangassammal (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · nb lav (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · et samblik (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · mr धोंडफूल (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · fa گلسنگ (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · ota طاش مانطاری (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · gl ouricela (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · hi शैवाक (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · ka ლიქენი (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · gl lique (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · nn lav (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · mr शैलज (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · ko 지의류 (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · ru лиша́й (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · cy cen (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · nv dláád (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · tt лишайник (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · hy քարաքոս (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · eo likeno (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · ur اشنہ (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · gl orco (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · mi hawa (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · mn хаг өвс (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · fo skón (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · bn শৈবাল (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · mr फत्तरफूल (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · is skóf (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · tg гулсанг (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · vi địa y (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · sh ли̏ша̄ј (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · my လေသိုက် (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · ug مۇخ (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · be ліша́йнік (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · lv ķērpis (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · ms kulampair (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · nl korstmos (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · el λειχήνα (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · de Flechte (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · hu zuzmó (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · mr दगडफूल (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · bg ли́шей (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · mr गिरीपुष्पक (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · cmn 地衣 (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · ca liquen (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · be ліша́й (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · cs lišejník (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · km កវកាប្យ (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · ru лиша́йник (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · it lichene (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · lo ຜາກ (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · ky эңилчек (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · mi pukoko (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · grc λειχήν (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · uz lishaynik (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · hi काई (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · hi लाइकेन (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · he חֲזָזִית (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · sh lȉšāj (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · lt kerpės (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · da lav (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · hsb lišawa (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · pt líquen (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · gl calquizo (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · gl escamenta (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · sq liken (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · uk лиша́йник (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · ar أُشْنَة (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · la līchēn (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · sk lišajník (symbiotic association of algae and fungi) · ang ragu (symbiotic association of algae and fungi)