plankton
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plankton
- /ˈplæŋ(k).tən/
Rhymes with -æŋktən, -æŋtən
Where it comes from
Borrowed from German Plankton, coined by German zoologist and marine biologist Victor Hensen. By surface analysis, Ancient Greek πλαγκτός (planktós, “drifter”) + -on. Ultimately from Ancient Greek πλαγκτόν (planktón, “drifting”), neuter nominative of πλαγκτός (planktós), from πλάζομαι (plázomai, “to wander, drift”), from πλάζω (plázō, “to cause to wander, drive astray”). By surface analysis, plankt- + -on.
noun planktons · plankton
- Organisms, especially small and microscopic ones, that drift in water. Whales feed on tiny plankton drifting in the ocean.
- A plankter, any single organism that drifts in water.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: phytoplankton, zooplankton, zoo, plankters, diatoms, algae, microalgae, microflora, picoplankton, nanoplankton, microorganisms, microbes, protists, cyanobacteria, dinoflagellates, microfauna
Translations
Every language
noun aquatic organism
| Español | plancton |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 플랑크톤 peullangkeuton |
| 日本語 | 浮遊生物 fuyūseibutsu, プランクトン purankuton |
| 中文 | 浮游生物 fúyóu shēngwù |
| हिन्दी | प्लवक plavak |
| Português | plâncton |
| Français | plancton |
| Deutsch | Plankton |
| Italiano | plancton |
| Ελληνικά | πλαγκτόν plagktón |
| Română | plancton |
| Русский | планкто́н planktón |
| Tiếng Việt | sinh vật phù du |
| العربية | عَوَالِق ʕawāliq |
Talk about this word "plankton." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/plankton. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. plankton. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/plankton "plankton." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/plankton.Cite this
@misc{plankton_2026,
title = {plankton},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/plankton},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
