meroplankton

[ mer-uh-plangk-tuh n ]
/ ˌmɛr əˈplæŋk tən /

noun

a floating mass of eggs and larvae of organisms that are nektonic or benthic in their adult stage; temporary plankton.

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weal
well-being, prosperity, or happiness.
the intervening time.
a somewhat prolonged, sharp, shrill cry, as of pain, fear, or surprise.
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Origin of meroplankton

1905–10; back formation from meroplanktonic; see mero-, planktonic

Words nearby meroplankton

meromorphic, meromyosin, meronym, merope, meropia, meroplankton, merops, merorachischisis, meros, merosmia, merosystolic
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for meroplankton

meroplankton
/ (ˌmɛrəʊˈplæŋktən) /

noun

plankton consisting of organisms at a certain stage of their life cycles, esp larvae, the other stages not being spent as part of the plankton communityCompare holoplankton
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