plankton

plank·ton  (plngktn)

n.

The collection of small or microscopic organisms, including algae and protozoans, that float or drift in great numbers in fresh or salt water, especially at or near the surface, and serve as food for fish and other larger organisms.

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[German, from Greek, neuter of planktos, wandering, from plazein, to turn aside; see plk-² in Indo-European roots.]

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plank·tonic (-tnk) adj.

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plankton

Noun

the small drifting plants and animals on the surface layer of a sea or lake [Greek planktos wandering]

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plankton  (plngktn)

Small organisms that float or drift in great numbers in bodies of salt or fresh water. Plankton is a primary food source for many animals, and consists of bacteria, protozoans, certain algae, cnidarians, tiny crustaceans such as copepods, and many other organisms. Compare benthosnekton

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

plankton - the aggregate of small plant and animal organisms that float or drift in great numbers in fresh or salt water organism, being - a living thing that has (or can develop) the ability to act or function independently phytoplankton - photosynthetic or plant constituent of plankton; mainly unicellular algae zooplankton - animal constituent of plankton; mainly small crustaceans and fish larvae copepod, copepod crustacean - minute marine or freshwater crustaceans usually having six pairs of limbs on the thorax; some abundant in plankton and others parasitic on fish congeries, conglomeration, aggregate - a sum total of many heterogenous things taken together

Translations

plankton [ˈplæŋktən] n → plancton m

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plankton [ˈplæŋktən] n → plancton m

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plankton [ˈplæŋktən] n → Plankton nt

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plankton [ˈplæŋktən] n → plancton m