sargassum

American  

[sahr-gas-uhm] / sɑrˈgæs əm /

noun

1. any seaweed of the genus Sargassum, widely distributed in the warmer waters of the globe, as S. bacciferum, the common gulfweed.

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sargassum British  

/ sɑːˈɡæsəm /

noun

1. any floating brown seaweed of the genus Sargassum, such as gulfweed, of warm seas, having ribbon-like fronds containing air sacs

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Etymology

Origin of sargassum

From New Latin, dating back to 1900–05; see origin at sargasso

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sargassum

"Before 2008, there were no major blooms of macroalgae reported except for sargassum in the Sargasso Sea," Hu said.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 3, 2026

The amount of sargassum on Mexico's beaches this year is a four-fold jump from last year, and 27 times more than the historic average.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

Mexico is deploying specialized navy ships to fight a massive influx of sargassum on the country's Caribbean beaches, authorities said Thursday, as the smelly seaweed threatens the crucial tourism sector.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

Despite the delays and the physical effort involved, researchers found no significant differences in blood glucose levels between the hatchlings that crossed sargassum and those that did not.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 24, 2025

Yes, that’s the gulf-weed, or sargassum, or fucus natans, as the big guns variously call it in their Latin lingo.

From The Ghost Ship A Mystery of the Sea by Henry Austin

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