pleuston

[ ploo-stuh n, -ston ]
/ ˈplu stən, -stɒn /

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 of pleuston

1940–45; pleus- (< Greek pleûs(is) sailing, or pleus- aorist stem of pleîn to sail, go by sea) + -ton, on the model of nekton, plankton

OTHER WORDS FROM pleuston

pleus·ton·ic [ploo-ston-ik] /pluˈstɒn ɪk/, adjective

Words nearby pleuston

pleuropneumonia, pleuropneumonialike organism, pleuropulmonary, pleurotomy, pleurovisceral, pleuston, pleustonic, pleven, plew, plexal, plexectomy

British Dictionary definitions for pleustonic (1 of 2)

pleustonic
/ (pluːˈstɒnɪk) /

adjective

of or relating to pleuston
denoting a marine organism held at the surface of the water by a float, such as the Portuguese man-of-war

British Dictionary definitions for pleustonic (2 of 2)

pleuston
/ (ˈpluːstən, -stɒn) /

noun

a mass of small organisms, esp algae, floating at the surface of shallow pools

Word Origin for pleuston

C20: from Greek pleusis sailing, from plein to sail; for form, compare plankton