zooxanthella
Americannoun
-
zooxanthellae
plural
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of zooxanthella
First recorded in 1880–85; from New Latin; zoo- ( def. ) + xantho- ( def. ) + -ella ( def. )
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.
See Examples For:
They host a microscopic symbiotic algae called zooxanthella that photosynthesizes just like plants, providing food to the coral.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2023
In addition to giving coral reefs their bright colors, zooxanthella also provide corals with oxygen, waste filtration, and up to 90 percent of their energy.
From New York Times ● Jan. 4, 2018
Absent zooxanthella, corals not only take on a ghostly pallor, hence the term bleaching, but they are also more susceptible to death.
From New York Times ● Jan. 4, 2018
During bleaching events, overheated seawater causes corals to part ways with symbiotic plantlike organisms called zooxanthella that live inside of them.
From New York Times ● Jan. 4, 2018
The nutrients they need to grow are provided by symbiotic zooxanthellae.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
But when the water temperature rises, the zooxanthellae stop making sugar and produce harmful chemicals instead.
From National Geographic ● Jan. 24, 2024
Warming oceans and out-of-control chemical use cause coral reefs to eject bacteria and tiny algae called zooxanthellae that live in their tissue and provide them with important nutrients.
From Scientific American ● Sep. 8, 2023
The hot water resulted in nearly 100% bleaching along portions of the reef, causing the corals to lose their zooxanthellae, the algae that gives them color and nourishment.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 9, 2023
When the water gets too hot, the tiny symbiotic algae that live in the corals’ tissues, zooxanthellae, turn excess energy from sunlight into dangerous toxins.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2023
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
