Planktonic
/plæŋkˈtɒnɪk/noun
Relating to plankton; drifting or floating in the water column.
Did you know?The root behind planktonic is Greek πλαγκτός (planktós), “wandering” or “drifting,” from πλάζω (plázō), “I make wander,” a root that also fed words for deception and error.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*plāk- / *plag-
“To strike, beat, or cause to wander/roam in related Greek developments”
Ancient Greek
Greek
πλάζω (plázō)
“I make wander, drive astray, or deceive”
Ancient Greek
Greek
πλαγκτός (planktós)
“Wandering, roaming, drifting”
1880s
English
plankton
“The drifting microscopic organisms of the sea”
Late 19th Century
English
planktonic
“Relating to plankton or drifting with plankton”