MEANING
Drifting aquatic animals and animal-like organisms that feed on other organisms or organic material.
Use it for
identifying tiny drifting marine consumers; describing food for fish and whales; distinguishing animal plankton from phytoplanktonDistinguishes the animal component of drifting life from photosynthetic phytoplankton. Writing functions: Animal plankton.
Words that belong together
- marine zooplankton
- zooplankton populations
- zooplankton grazing
On the page
The samples contained zooplankton and the larvae of several fish.
Zooplankton rose toward the surface after dark.
Word forms
- Base
- zooplankton
Usage notes
Collective noun, normally unchanged: zooplankton. Individuals are zooplankton organisms, not ordinarily a zooplankton. Register: technical. Commonness: moderately common in marine ecology (dictionary-informed qualitative editorial estimate; not a measured frequency).
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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