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spirulina

[ spahy-ruh-lahy-nuh ]
/ ˌspaɪ rəˈlaɪ nə /
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noun

any of the blue-green algae of the genus Spirulina, sometimes added to food for its nutrient value.

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Origin of spirulina

<New Latin, equivalent to spīrul(a) small coil (see spiral, -ule) + -ina-ina2; so called from their corkscrew shape

Words nearby spirulina

spirometer, spironolactone, spiroplasma, spirt, spirula, spirulina, spiruroid, Spiruroidea, spiry, spissatus, spissitude
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for spirulina

  • Spirulina is often found growing with Oscillaria, and forms purple patches on wharves.

    The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide|Augusta Foote Arnold

  • In Spirulina the filaments are spirally twisted like a corkscrew and also have a vibrating movement.

    The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide|Augusta Foote Arnold

British Dictionary definitions for spirulina

spirulina
/ (ˌspɪrʊˈlaɪnə, -ˈliːnə) /

noun

any filamentous cyanobacterium of the genus Spirulina : processed as a valuable source of proteins and other nutrients

Word Origin for spirulina

from New Latin spirula small spiral
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
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