phytoplankton

[ fahy-tuh-plangk-tuhn ]

noun
  1. the aggregate of plants and plantlike organisms in plankton.

Origin of phytoplankton

1
First recorded in 1895–1900; phyto- + plankton

Words Nearby phytoplankton

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How to use phytoplankton in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for phytoplankton

phytoplankton

/ (ˌfaɪtəˈplæŋktən) /


noun
  1. the photosynthesizing organisms in plankton, mainly unicellular algae and cyanobacteria: Compare zooplankton

Derived forms of phytoplankton

  • phytoplanktonic (ˌfaɪtəplæŋkˈtɒnɪk), adjective

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

Scientific definitions for phytoplankton

phytoplankton

[ fī′tō-plăngktən ]


  1. Plankton consisting of free-floating algae, protists, and cyanobacteria. Phytoplankton form the beginning of the food chain for aquatic animals and fix large amounts of carbon, which would otherwise be released as carbon dioxide.

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