lichen

[ lahy-kuhn ]

/ ˈlaɪ kən /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR lichen ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

any complex organism of the group Lichenes, composed of a fungus in symbiotic union with an alga and having a greenish, gray, yellow, brown, or blackish thallus that grows in leaflike, crustlike, or branching forms on rocks, trees, etc.

Pathology. any of various eruptive skin diseases.

verb (used with object)

to cover with or as if with lichens.

Origin of lichen

1595–1605; <Latin līchēn<Greek leichḗn

OTHER WORDS FROM lichen

li·chen·i·za·tion, nounli·chen·like, adjectiveun·li·chened, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH lichen

lichen , liken

Words nearby lichen

licentious, licentiousness, licet, lich, lichee, lichen, lichenic acid, lichenification, lichenin, lichen myxedematosus, lichen nitidus

Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for lichen

It must be a sort of lichen; exposure to the sun seems to cure it, and this leads me to take long walks therein.
The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in Central Africa, from 1865 to His Death, Volume I (of 2), 1866-1868|David Livingstone
Bosses of rock thrust themselves forward, patched with lichen and moss, seamed and fringed with fern and heath.
Foes|Mary Johnston
In places it supplants the heath, the ground is concealed by lichen only, which crunches under the foot like hoar-frost.
Nature Near London|Richard Jefferies
Lichen: a kind of flowerless plant that grows on stones, trees, boards, etc.
Agriculture for Beginners|Charles William Burkett

But it certainly did show a good deal of delicate feeling and remembrance when Sarah Strong sent you the lichen.
Kathie's Soldiers|Amanda Minnie Douglas

British Dictionary definitions for lichen

lichen

/ (ˈlaɪkən, ˈlɪtʃən) /

noun

an organism that is formed by the symbiotic association of a fungus and an alga or cyanobacterium and occurs as crusty patches or bushy growths on tree trunks, bare ground, etc. Lichens are now classified as a phylum of fungi (Mycophycophyta)

pathol any of various eruptive disorders of the skin

Derived forms of lichen

lichened, adjectivelichen-like, adjectivelichenoid, adjectivelichenous or lichenose, adjective

Word Origin for lichen

C17: via Latin from Greek leikhēn, from leikhein to lick

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for lichen

lichen

[ lī′kən ]

n.

Any of various skin diseases characterized by patchy eruptions of small, firm papules.

Scientific definitions for lichen

lichen

[ lī′kən ]

The mutualistic symbiotic association of a fungus with an alga or a cyanobacterium, or both. The fungal component of a lichen absorbs water and nutrients from the surroundings and provides a suitable environment for the alga or cyanobacterium. These live protected among the dense fungal hyphae and produce carbohydrates for the fungus by photosynthesis. Owing to this partnership, lichens can thrive in harsh environments such as mountaintops and polar regions. The more familiar lichens grow slowly as crusty patches, but lichens are found in a variety of forms, such as the tall, plantlike reindeer moss. The association between the different organisms in a lichen is so close that lichens are routinely referred to as a single organism, and scientists classify lichens using the name of the fungal component.

单词	lichen
释义	lichen [ lahy-kuhn ] / ˈlaɪ kən / SEE SYNONYMS FOR lichen ON THESAURUS.COM noun any complex organism of the group Lichenes, composed of a fungus in symbiotic union with an alga and having a greenish, gray, yellow, brown, or blackish thallus that grows in leaflike, crustlike, or branching forms on rocks, trees, etc. Pathology. any of various eruptive skin diseases. verb (used with object) to cover with or as if with lichens. Origin of lichen 1595–1605; <Latin līchēn<Greek leichḗn OTHER WORDS FROM lichen li·chen·i·za·tion, nounli·chen·like, adjectiveun·li·chened, adjective WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH lichen lichen , liken Words nearby lichen licentious, licentiousness, licet, lich, lichee, lichen, lichenic acid, lichenification, lichenin, lichen myxedematosus, lichen nitidus Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020 Example sentences from the Web for lichen It must be a sort of lichen; exposure to the sun seems to cure it, and this leads me to take long walks therein. The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in Central Africa, from 1865 to His Death, Volume I (of 2), 1866-1868\|David Livingstone Bosses of rock thrust themselves forward, patched with lichen and moss, seamed and fringed with fern and heath. Foes\|Mary Johnston In places it supplants the heath, the ground is concealed by lichen only, which crunches under the foot like hoar-frost. Nature Near London\|Richard Jefferies Lichen: a kind of flowerless plant that grows on stones, trees, boards, etc. Agriculture for Beginners\|Charles William Burkett But it certainly did show a good deal of delicate feeling and remembrance when Sarah Strong sent you the lichen. Kathie's Soldiers\|Amanda Minnie Douglas British Dictionary definitions for lichen lichen / (ˈlaɪkən, ˈlɪtʃən) / noun an organism that is formed by the symbiotic association of a fungus and an alga or cyanobacterium and occurs as crusty patches or bushy growths on tree trunks, bare ground, etc. Lichens are now classified as a phylum of fungi (Mycophycophyta) pathol any of various eruptive disorders of the skin Derived forms of lichen lichened, adjectivelichen-like, adjectivelichenoid, adjectivelichenous or lichenose, adjective Word Origin for lichen C17: via Latin from Greek leikhēn, from leikhein to lick Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Words related to lichen swamp, morass, bog Medical definitions for lichen lichen [ lī′kən ] n. Any of various skin diseases characterized by patchy eruptions of small, firm papules. The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. Scientific definitions for lichen lichen [ lī′kən ] The mutualistic symbiotic association of a fungus with an alga or a cyanobacterium, or both. The fungal component of a lichen absorbs water and nutrients from the surroundings and provides a suitable environment for the alga or cyanobacterium. These live protected among the dense fungal hyphae and produce carbohydrates for the fungus by photosynthesis. Owing to this partnership, lichens can thrive in harsh environments such as mountaintops and polar regions. The more familiar lichens grow slowly as crusty patches, but lichens are found in a variety of forms, such as the tall, plantlike reindeer moss. The association between the different organisms in a lichen is so close that lichens are routinely referred to as a single organism, and scientists classify lichens using the name of the fungal component. The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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lichen

noun

verb (used with object)

Origin of lichen

OTHER WORDS FROM lichen

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH lichen

Words nearby lichen

Example sentences from the Web for lichen

British Dictionary definitions for lichen

noun

Derived forms of lichen

Word Origin for lichen

Words related to lichen

Medical definitions for lichen

n.

Scientific definitions for lichen