noun
plankton
PLANG-tuhn
noun
1
Tiny, often microscopic organisms that drift passively in water rather than swimming against currents.
"Whales filter huge amounts of plankton from seawater as they feed."
"A bloom of plankton turned the bay a murky green."
How to Use Plankton
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMicroscopic plants and animals that float in oceans and lakes, forming the base of the aquatic food chain.
Common pairings
plankton bloom
feed on plankton
marine plankton
Word Forms
planktons plural, plankton plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “plankton”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
Whales filter huge amounts of _____ from seawater as they feed.
Etymology
Coined in German from Greek planktos, "drifting" — the same root idea as "planet," things that wander or drift.