noun
krill
krihl
noun
1
Tiny shrimp-like sea creatures that drift in huge swarms and form a key part of the ocean food chain.
"Blue whales can eat several tons of krill in a single day."
"The penguins dove repeatedly, feeding on a dense swarm of krill."
How to Use Krill
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSmall ocean crustaceans that whales, seals, and seabirds rely on for food.
Memory tip
Krill is usually treated as a mass/plural noun — you talk about "a swarm of krill," not "a krill" for one individual.
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Common pairings
a swarm of krill
krill oil
feed on krill
Word Forms
krill plural, krills plural, Krills plural
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Blue whales can eat several tons of _____ in a single day.
Etymology
From Norwegian kril, originally meaning small fry or tiny fish.