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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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

Word History

First Known Use

1780, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of brown alga was in 1780

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 17 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

brown alga

noun
: any of a group of mostly marine algae with the chlorophyll masked by brown coloring matter

Medical Definition

brown alga

noun
: any of a division (Phaeophyta) of variable mostly marine algae (as a laminaria) with chlorophyll masked by brown pigment see algin, laminarin
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