spirogyra

American

[spahy-ruh-jahy-ruh] / ˌspaɪ rəˈdʒaɪ rə /

noun

Botany.

a widely distributed filamentous freshwater green alga of the genus Spirogyra.

spirogyra British

/ ˌspaɪrəˈdʒaɪərə /

noun

any green freshwater multicellular alga of the genus Spirogyra, consisting of minute filaments containing spirally coiled chloroplasts

"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

spirogyra Scientific

/ spī′rə-jī′rə /

Any of a genus of filamentous freshwater green algae having cylindrically shaped cells with spiral-shaped bands of chloroplasts. Species of Spirogyra reproduce asexually by cell division and fragmentation and sexually by conjugation. They form green scum on ponds, floated by the oxygen produced by photosynthesis.

Etymology

Origin of spirogyra

1895–1900; < New Latin, equivalent to spiro- spiro- ² + -gyra, alteration of Greek gŷros circle or gȳrós round

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

On the river floated a deserted canoe in which spirogyra had grown.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023