noun
plankton
PLANK-tun/ˈplæŋktən/
Small organisms that drift in oceans or freshwater.
Tiny plankton drift together in the gentle current.
Etymology
The image of wandering or drifting describes how these organisms move with the water. The name points to their inability to swim against the current, rather than simply their tiny size.
In context
as it meets the ocean the minerals spark a vast blooming of Plankton this explosion of tiny plants is fueled by the power of the Sun
More examples
- Ocean currents carry plankton from place to place.
- We examine plankton from the pond under a microscope.
- Some plankton make their own food using sunlight.
Forms
plankton
planktonic adjective — Relating to organisms drifting in water.