seaweed

[see-weed]

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noun

any plant or plants growing in the ocean.

a marine alga.

Origin of seaweed

First recorded in 1570–80; sea + weed¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for seaweed

algae, tangle, gulfweed, rockweed

Examples from the Web for seaweed

Contemporary Examples of seaweed

Poudre de Neptune (dill, fennel, star anise, seaweed) is by far the most-used seasoning in my kitchen.
A Superstar Chef Does the Unthinkable
Amelia Smith
November 17, 2008

Historical Examples of seaweed

As a last resort this seaweed is edible, at any rate certain species of it.
The Cruise of the Dry Dock
T. S. Stribling
Ahead of them the seaweed stretched, apparently all the way to the schooner.
The Cruise of the Dry Dock
T. S. Stribling
Nearly every dash of foam brought with it biting bits of seaweed now.
The Cruise of the Dry Dock
T. S. Stribling
It was the seaweed spray of this seaweed ocean that had whipped him during the night.
The Cruise of the Dry Dock
T. S. Stribling
On the beach, there was quite a movement, but that might be seaweed rocked by the tide.
The Fte At Coqueville
Emile Zola

British Dictionary definitions for seaweed

seaweed

noun

any of numerous multicellular marine algae that grow on the seashore, in salt marshes, in brackish water, or submerged in the ocean

any of certain other plants that grow in or close to the sea

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

Word Origin and History for seaweed

1570s, from sea + weed (n.). An Old English word for it was sæwar.

seaweed in Science

seaweed

[sē′wēd′]

Any of various red, green, or brown algae that live in ocean waters. Some species of seaweed are free-floating, while others are attached to the ocean bottom. Seaweed range from the size of a pinhead to having large fronds (such as those of many kelps) that can be as much as 30.5 m (100 ft) in length. Certain species are used for food (such as nori) and fertilizer, and others are harvested for carrageenan and other substances used as thickening, stabilizing, emulsifying, or suspending agents in industrial, pharmaceutical, and food products. Seaweed is also a natural source of the element iodine, which is otherwise found only in very small amounts. See more at brown alga green alga red alga.