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brown alga
noun
plural brown algae also brown algas
: any of a division (Phaeophyta) of variable mostly marine algae with chlorophyll masked by brown pigment
Examples of brown alga in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
It may be chemically couched: eggs of the brown alga Ascophyllum nodosum, for example, send out a chemical that attracts the sperm of A. nodosum and no other.
—James Shreeve, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
The seaweed known as Saccharina latissima, or sugar kelp, is a yellowish brown alga that grows along rocky coastlines.
—Stephanie Hanes, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 July 2022
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Word History
First Known Use
1780, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near brown alga
Cite this Entry
“Brown alga.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brown%20alga. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
brown alga
noun
: any of a group of mostly marine algae with the chlorophyll masked by brown coloring matter
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