diatom
Use Diatom in a sentence
ə
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To Diatom
Collins
World English Dictionary
diatom (ˈdaɪətəm, -ˌtɒm) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| See also diatomite any microscopic unicellular alga of the phylum Bacillariophyta, occurring in marine or fresh water singly or in colonies, each cell having a cell wall made of two halves and impregnated with silica | |
| [C19: from New Latin Diatoma (genus name), from Greek diatomos cut in two, from diatemnein to cut through, from | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
00:10
Diatom
is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
diatom
1845, coined from Gk. diatomos "cut in two," from diatemnein "to cut through," from dia- "through" + temnein "to cut." So called because they typically appear to have been cut in half. Related: Diatomic.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
| diatom (dī'ə-tŏm') Pronunciation Key
Any of various microscopic protists of the phylum Bacillariophyta that live in both fresh and marine water, have hard bivalve shells (called frustules) composed mostly of silica, and often live in colonies. Most diatoms can perform photosynthesis. They make up a large portion of the marine plankton and are an important food source for many aquatic animals. The skeletal remains of diatoms are the main constituent of diatomite. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
In the right conditions, the pressure of the sediment fill turns the diatom remains into petroleum.
Nearby Words
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