phytoplankton

noun/ˌfaɪtoʊˈplæŋktən/

Frequency rank: #18,078 most common English word

Meaning

microscopic photosynthetic organisms that drift in water and form the base of aquatic food chains.

Illustration for the English word “phytoplankton”

Example sentence

Scientists discovered that phytoplankton levels in the ocean have dropped significantly over the past century.

Synonyms & related words

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