Algae is a type of plant with no stems or leaves that grows in water or on damp surfaces.
algae in British English
(ˈældʒiː)
plural nounWord forms: singularalga (ˈælɡə)
unicellular or multicellular organisms formerly classified as plants, occurring in fresh or salt water or moist ground, that have chlorophyll and other pigments but lack true stems, roots, and leaves. Algae, which are now regarded as protoctists, include the seaweeds, diatoms, and spirogyra
Derived forms
algal (ˈælɡəl)
adjective
Word origin
C16: from Latin, plural of alga seaweed, of uncertain origin
algae in American English
(ˈælˌdʒi)
plural nounWord forms: singularˈalga (ˈælgə)
any of several divisions of simple photosynthetic organisms, esp. certain thallophytes, variously one-celled, colonial, or filamentous, containing chlorophyll and other pigments (esp. red and brown), and having no true root, stem, or leaf: algae are found in water or damp places, and include seaweeds and pond scum
Derived forms
algal (ˈalgal) (ˈælgəl)
adjective
Word origin
pl. of L alga, seaweed < IE base *el-, *ol-, to be moldy, putrid > Swed ul, rancid, Du uilig, rotten
Examples of 'algae' in a sentence
algae
The water was low, its surface encrusted with an algae greener than the grass which sprang between the tiling at the pool's edge.
Clive Barker THE GREAT AND SECRET SHOW (2001)
The old pond lies choked in the corner, covered in green algae.
Sara MacDonald SEA MUSIC (2001)
Bagado took this pole which had a net on the end of it and started to skim the algae off the surface of the water.
Robert Wilson INSTRUMENTS OF DARKNESS (2001)
In other languages
algae
British English: algae NOUN
Algae is a type of plant with no stems or leaves that grows in water or on damp surfaces.
...an effort to control toxic algae in the lake.
American English: algae
Brazilian Portuguese: alga
Chinese: 水藻
European Spanish: alga
French: algue
German: Algen
Italian: alghe
Japanese: 藻
Korean: 조류
European Portuguese: alga
Latin American Spanish: alga
All related terms of 'algae'
alga
unicellular or multicellular organisms formerly classified as plants, occurring in fresh or salt water or moist ground, that have chlorophyll and other pigments but lack true stems, roots, and leaves. Algae, which are now regarded as protoctists , include the seaweeds, diatoms , and spirogyra
red algae
the numerous algae that constitute the phylum Rhodophyta , which contain a red pigment in addition to chlorophyll . The group includes carrageen , dulse, and laver
brown algae
any algae of the phylum Phaeophyta , such as the wracks and kelps, which contain a brown pigment in addition to chlorophyll
green algae
the algae of the phylum Chlorophyta, which possess the green pigment chlorophyll . The group includes sea lettuce and spirogyra
blue-green algae
any of a division (Cyanophycota) of photosynthetic monerans, microorganisms that contain a blue pigment which obscures the chlorophyll ; cyanobacteria
yellow-green algae
any of a class (Xanthophyceae) of photosynthetic thallophytes that contain a yellowish or brownish pigment that obscures the chlorophyll and whose motile cells have two unequal flagella : the cell walls may contain silica
brown alga
an alga of the class Phaeophyceae, usually brown owing to the presence of brown pigments in addition to the chlorophyll