Phytoplankton
/ˌfaɪ.təˈplæŋk.tən/ noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Plankton, especially those small in size, that obtain energy by photosynthesis. countable, uncountable
- 2 photosynthetic or plant constituent of plankton; mainly unicellular algae wordnet
Example
More examples"About two-thirds of the Earth's oxygen is produced by phytoplankton."
Etymology
From phyto- + plankton. From Ancient Greek φυτόν (phutón, “plant”) + πλαγκτόν (planktón), neuter of πλαγκτός (planktós, “wandering”). However, they are no longer classified as plants, so the terminology is showing a historical meaning.