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pleustonic

 - 2 dictionary results

pleus⋅ton

  [ploo-stuhn, -ston]
Use pleustonic in a Sentence
–noun Biology.
a buoyant mat of weeds, algae, and associated organisms that floats on or near the surface of a lake, river, or other body of fresh water.
Origin:
1940–45; pleus- (< Gk pleûs(is) sailing, or pleus- aorist s. of pleîn to sail, go by sea) + -ton, on the model of nekton, plankton

Related forms:
pleus⋅ton⋅ic  [ploo-ston-ik] , adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To pleustonic
pleus·ton   (plōō'stən, -stŏn')   
n.  Plants that float on the surface of bodies of fresh water.

[Greek pleusis, sailing; see pleu- in Indo-European roots + (plank)ton.]
pleus·ton'ic (plōō-stŏn'ĭk) adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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