periphyton

[puh-rif-i-ton] /pəˈrɪf ɪˌtɒn/

Word Origin

noun, Ecology.

the community of tiny organisms, as protozoans, hydras, insect larvae, and snails, that lives on the surfaces of rooted aquatic plants.

Origin of periphyton

Greek

1940-1945

1940-45; probably peri- + Greek phŷton plant, -phyte, on the model of plankton

Related forms

periphytic

[per-uh-fit-ik] /ˌpɛr əˈfɪt ɪk/ (Show IPA), adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018.
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British Dictionary definitions for periphyton

periphyton

/pəˈrɪfɪˌtɒn/

noun

aquatic organisms, such as certain algae, that live attached to rocks or other surfaces

Word Origin

C20: from Greek, from peri- + phutos, from phuein to grow

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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