plankton

[ plangk-tuhn ]

/ ˈplæŋk tən /

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noun

the aggregate of passively floating, drifting, or somewhat motile organisms occurring in a body of water, primarily comprising microscopic algae and protozoa.

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Origin of plankton

1890–95; <German, special use of neuter of Greek planktós drifting, equivalent to plang-, variant stem of plázesthai to drift, roam, wander + -tos verbid suffix

OTHER WORDS FROM plankton

plank·ton·ic

[plangk-ton-ik], /plæŋkˈtɒn ɪk/, adjective

Words nearby plankton

plank, plank floor, planking, plank-sheer, plankter, plankton, planned, planned economy, planned obsolescence, Planned Parenthood, planner

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use plankton in a sentence

These sensors can relay information about the concentration of plankton in the water, how much they are growing and respiring, the amount of oxygen they’re producing and carbon dioxide they’re uptaking.
These free-floating robots can monitor the health of our oceans|Charlotte Hu|August 18, 2021|Popular-Science
The results for hydra and plankton extend Thompson’s analysis of whole organisms.
The Math of Living Things - Issue 102: Hidden Truths|Sidney Perkowitz|June 23, 2021|Nautilus
Andersen is now developing plankton simulator software based on the underlying physical ideas to provide estimates of plankton diversity and function under different ocean conditions.
The Math of Living Things - Issue 102: Hidden Truths|Sidney Perkowitz|June 23, 2021|Nautilus
At a glance, these xenobots might be mistaken for other microscopic aquatic animals — amoebas or plankton or Giardia parasites — swimming here and there with apparent agency.
Cells Form Into ‘Xenobots’ on Their Own|Philip Ball|March 31, 2021|Quanta Magazine

As the fleas feed on plankton that consume algae, algae blooms begin to sprout up across a lake.
A spiky flea could ruin Midwestern ecosystems and kill native fish|By Abi Cole/Outdoor Life|February 17, 2021|Popular-Science
Jellyfish eat the eggs and larvae of other species higher on the food chain, as well as the plankton that those larvae would eat.
Beware at the Beach, the Jellyfish Rule the Seas and It’s Our Fault|Lisa-ann Gershwin|June 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Plankton, those wily producers of every second breath of oxygen you breath, will be naked and vulnerable.
The Gulf's Bigger Oil Disaster|Alanna Mitchell|September 11, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Both fish and plankton are consumed by humpback whales as well as by other predators.
Humpback Whales in Glacier Bay National Monument, Alaska|United States Department of Commerce, Marine Mammal Commission
By autumn, plankton concentrations diminish as light and nutrient levels decrease.
Humpback Whales in Glacier Bay National Monument, Alaska|United States Department of Commerce, Marine Mammal Commission
The same method is followed by the pretty radiolaria which live floating (as plankton) at various depths of the sea.
The Wonders of Life|Ernst Haeckel
Nine tenths of the species are marine; of these some are pelagic, and their transparent forms constitute a part of the plankton.
The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide|Augusta Foote Arnold
The expedition made significant observations of the role of plankton in the biological utilization of ocean fallout.
Atoms, Nature, and Man|Neal O. Hines

British Dictionary definitions for plankton

plankton

/ (ˈplæŋktən) /

noun

the organisms inhabiting the surface layer of a sea or lake, consisting of small drifting plants and animals, such as diatomsCompare nekton

Derived forms of plankton

planktonic (plæŋkˈtɒnɪk), adjective

Word Origin for plankton

C19: via German from Greek planktos wandering, from plazesthai to roam

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 plankton

plankton

[ plăngk′tən ]

Small organisms that float or drift in great numbers in bodies of salt or fresh water. Plankton is a primary food source for many animals, and consists of bacteria, protozoans, certain algae, cnidarians, tiny crustaceans such as copepods, and many other organisms. Compare benthos nekton.