phycophaein

noun

phy·​co·​phae·​in

variants or phycophein

ˌ⸗⸗ˈfēə̇n

plural -s

: a brown pigment in the cells of brown algae (as the kelps) now believed to be no more than a postmortem oxidation product of fucosan

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary phyc- + -phaein, -phein (from Greek phaios dusky + International Scientific Vocabulary -in)

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!