plankton

[plangk-tuh n] /ˈplæŋk tən/

noun

the aggregate of passively floating, drifting, or somewhat motile organisms occurring in a body of water, primarily comprising microscopic algae and protozoa.

Origin

1890-95; < German, special use of neuter of Greek planktós drifting, equivalent to plang-, variant stem of plázesthai to drift, roam, wander + -tos verbid suffix

Related forms

planktonic

[plangk-ton-ik] /plæŋkˈtɒn ɪk/ (Show IPA), adjective

Examples from the web for plankton

What it's definitely not from is diatoms and plankton.
The marine plankton that end up as oil and natural gas undergo similar transformations.
plankton in the open ocean need a precise mixture of sunlight in shallower waters and nutrients from the deep.
Basking sharks can be found in coastal waters and feed on plankton.
Its resolution is sufficient to show dense concentrations of plankton measuring a fraction of a millimeter.
The evidence comes from foraminifera, crunchy plankton that float by the untold billions in the ocean.
Several preliminary experiments have shown that plankton do, indeed, bloom when iron is added.
White plankton shells vanished from the seafloor mud, shifting its color from white to red.
The spring is too hot to sustain enough algae and plankton to feed them all.
In the marketing, this food gets its high energy properties from oh-so-tasty plankton.

British Dictionary definitions for plankton

plankton

/ˈplæŋktən/

noun

the organisms inhabiting the surface layer of a sea or lake, consisting of small drifting plants and animals, such as diatoms Compare nekton

Derived Forms

planktonic (plæŋkˈtɒnɪk) adjective

Word Origin

C19: via German from Greek planktos wandering, from plazesthai to roam

Word Origin and History for plankton

1891, from German Plankton (1887), coined by German physiologist Viktor Hensen (1835-1924) from Greek plankton, neuter of planktos "wandering, drifting," verbal adjective from plazesthai "to wander, drift," from plazein "to drive astray," from PIE root *plak- (2) "to strike, hit" (see plague (n.)). Related: Planktonic.

plankton in Science

plankton

(plāngk'tən)
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 benthos, nekton.