English Lexicon

Diatom

/ˈdaɪ.ə.tɒm/
nounCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #45000 frequency
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Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

1 sense
As noun
  1. 1

    A single-celled alga which has a cell wall of silica, characteristic of both fresh and marine plankton.

    "Diatoms are major producers of oxygen in the Earth's biosphere."

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the Greek diatomon, meaning 'cut in two' or 'divided through', composed of dia- ('through') and temnein ('to cut'). The term was coined in the 19th century to describe the microalgae's characteristic two-part symmetrical cell wall structure.

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