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algae
[ al-jee ]
/ ˈæl dʒi /
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plural noun, singular al·ga [al-guh]. /ˈæl gə/.
Microbiology. any of numerous groups of chlorophyll-containing, mainly aquatic, eukaryotic organisms ranging from microscopic single-celled forms to multicellular forms 100 feet (30 meters) or more long, distinguished from plants by the absence of true roots, stems, and leaves and by a lack of nonreproductive cells in the reproductive structures: classified into the six phyla Euglenophyta, Crysophyta, Pyrrophyta, Chlorophyta, Phaeophyta, and Rhodophyta.
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Origin of algae
First recorded in 1790–1800; from New Latin, plural of Latin alga “seaweed”
OTHER WORDS FROM algae
al·gal [al-guhl], /ˈæl gəl/, adjectiveWords nearby algae
al-Fustat, Alfvén, Alfvén wave, alg., alga, algae, Algar, Algaroth powder, algarroba, Algarve, algebra
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use algae in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for algae
algae
/ (ˈældʒiː) /
pl n singular alga (ˈælɡə)
unicellular or multicellular organisms formerly classified as plants, occurring in fresh or salt water or moist ground, that have chlorophyll and other pigments but lack true stems, roots, and leaves. Algae, which are now regarded as protoctists, include the seaweeds, diatoms, and spirogyra
Derived forms of algae
algal (ˈælɡəl), adjectiveWord Origin for algae
C16: from Latin, plural of alga seaweed, of uncertain origin
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
Cultural definitions for algae
algae
[ (al-jee) ]
Primitive organisms that contain chlorophyll but do not have structures, such as xylem and phloem, to transport fluids. Algae sometimes contain only a single cell, and nowadays they are not considered members of the plant kingdom.
notes for algae
The most familiar algae are the greenish scum that collects in still water.
notes for algae
Algae supply a considerable part of the world's oxygen.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.