Phytoplankton
/ˌfaɪtoʊˈplæŋktən/noun
Microscopic plantlike organisms that drift in water and form the base of many aquatic food chains.
Did you know?The second half comes from Greek planktos, “wandering” or “drifting,” the same ancient idea behind the word planet—so phytoplankton are, in a sense, tiny wandering lights of the sea.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
φυτόν (phytón)
“plant”
Ancient Greek
Greek
πλαγκτός (planktós)
“wandering, erring, drifting”
1880s
English
phytoplankton
“the drifting microscopic plant organisms of the sea and fresh water”
Modern English
English
phytoplankton
“microscopic photosynthetic organisms that drift in water”