plankton en · NOUN
Pronunciation
Etymology
Borrowed from German Plankton, coined by German zoologist and marine biologist Victor Hensen. By surface analysis, Ancient Greek πλαγκτός (planktós, “drifter”) + -on. Ultimately from Ancient Greek πλαγκτόν (planktón, “drifting”), neuter nominative of πλαγκτός (planktós), from πλάζομαι (plázomai, “to wander, drift”), from πλάζω (plázō, “to cause to wander, drive astray”). By surface analysis, plankt- + -on.
Meanings
-
(uncountable, usually) Organisms, especially small and microscopic ones, that drift in water.
The lake water was full of microscopic plankton.
Whales feed on tiny plankton drifting in the ocean.
The study focused on the role of plankton in the food chain.
- (countable, usually) A plankter, any single organism that drifts in water.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| planktons | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| plankton | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
psammon · seston · pleuston · neuston · benthon · nekton
Deriveds
planktivorous · tychoplankton · macroplankton · ultraplankton · picoplankton · haliplankton · mycoplankton · megaplankton · potamoplankton · euplankton · zooplankton · paleoplankton · microplankton · archaeoplankton · office plankton · meroplankton · planktonic · mixoplankton · holoplankton · ichthyoplankton · nanoplankton · mesoplankton · nonplankton · protozooplankton · planktonivory · planktonophagous · femtoplankton · pseudoplankton · planktonology · aeroplankton · nektoplankton · bathyplankton · bacterioplankton · geoplankton · jellyplankton · planktonivore · planktivore · epiplankton · phytoplankton · limnoplankton
Descendants
Relateds
planktotrophic · planktic · planktology · plankter
Translations (38)
pt plâncton (aquatic organism) · vi sinh vật phù du (aquatic organism) · ro plancton (aquatic organism) · ia plancton (aquatic organism) · da plankton (aquatic organism) · ca plàncton (aquatic organism) · it plancton (aquatic organism) · ru планкто́н (aquatic organism) · cmn 浮游生物 (aquatic organism) · ar عَوَالِق (aquatic organism) · id plankton (aquatic organism) · yue 浮游生物 (aquatic organism) · eo planktono (aquatic organism) · ja 浮遊生物 (aquatic organism) · ja プランクトン (aquatic organism) · sv plankton (aquatic organism) · et hõljum (aquatic organism) · gl plancto (aquatic organism) · ko 플랑크톤 (aquatic organism) · fi keijusto (aquatic organism) · th แพลงก์ตอน (aquatic organism) · hi प्लवक (aquatic organism) · cs plankton (aquatic organism) · no plankton (aquatic organism) · fi plankton (aquatic organism) · es plancton (aquatic organism) · fa پلانکتون (aquatic organism) · de Plankton (aquatic organism) · kk планктон (aquatic organism) · mi meroiti (aquatic organism) · io planktono (aquatic organism) · pl plankton (aquatic organism) · ur پیراکو (aquatic organism) · ga planctón (aquatic organism) · io plankton (aquatic organism) · hu plankton (aquatic organism) · el πλαγκτόν (aquatic organism) · fr plancton (aquatic organism)