Daphnia

[ daf-nee-uh ]

/ ˈdæf ni ə /

Save This Word!

noun

a genus of tiny, freshwater crustaceans having a transparent body, used in biological research and as food for tropical fish.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "IS" VS. "ARE"

"Is" it time for a new quiz? "Are" you ready? Then prove your excellent skills on using "is" vs. "are."

Question 1 of 7

IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?

have

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Compare water flea.

Origin of Daphnia

1840–50; <New Latin, perhaps after Daphne; see -ia

Words nearby Daphnia

Danzi, Danzig, dap, Daphne, Daphnephoria, Daphnia, Daphnis, Daphnis and Chloe, Da Ponte, dapper, dapple

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use Daphnia in a sentence

The recovery or death of the daphnia depends therefore on the issue of the struggle.
Life of Elie Metchnikoff, 1845-1916|Olga Metchnikoff
I have already spoken of the fresh-water shrimp and the water-flea (Daphnia pulex).
Amateur Fish Culture|Charles Edward Walker
Of Crustaceae: near the sea-shore a Pagurus existed in astonishing numbers, and in the sweet waters a Daphnia.
The Highlands of Ethiopia|William Cornwallis Harris
Some of these belong to the genus Daphnia, and differ from the species found in other situations by their glassy transparency.
The Life of Crustacea|William Thomas Calman

Such small creatures as Daphnia pulex, Cyclops quadricornis and Rotifera should be introduced into ponds.
Amateur Fish Culture|Charles Edward Walker

British Dictionary definitions for Daphnia

daphnia

/ (ˈdæfnɪə) /

noun

any water flea of the genus Daphnia, having a rounded body enclosed in a transparent shell and bearing branched swimming antennae

Word Origin for daphnia

C19: from New Latin, probably from Daphne

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