alga

/ˈælgə/

/ˈælgə/

Other forms: algas

Definitions of alga

1. noun

   primitive chlorophyll-containing mainly aquatic eukaryotic organisms lacking true stems and roots and leaves
   synonyms: algae

   types:

   seaweed

   plant growing in the sea, especially marine algae

   golden algae

   algae having the pigments chlorophyll and carotene and xanthophyll

   yellow-green algae

   any alga of the division Chrysophyta with its chlorophyll masked by yellow pigment

   diatom

   microscopic unicellular marine or freshwater colonial alga having cell walls impregnated with silica

   confervoid algae

   algae resembling confervae especially in having branching filaments

   brown algae

   algae having the chlorophyll masked by brown and yellow pigments

   euglenid, euglenoid, euglenophyte

   marine and freshwater green or colorless flagellate organism

   chlorophyte, green algae

   algae that are clear green in color; often growing on wet ricks or damp wood or the surface of stagnant water

   chlorella

   any alga of the genus Chlorella

   red algae

   marine algae in which the chlorophyll is masked by a red or purplish pigment; source of agar and carrageenan

   cryptomonad, cryptophyte

   common in fresh and salt water appearing along the shore as algal blooms

   arame

   an edible seaweed with a mild flavor

   wrack

   dried seaweed especially that cast ashore

   seagrass

   any of various seaweeds that grow underwater in shallow beds

   sea wrack, wrack

   growth of marine vegetation especially of the large forms such as rockweeds and kelp

   conferva

   any of various algae of the genus Tribonema; algae with branching filaments that form scum in still or stagnant fresh water

   kelp

   large brown seaweeds having fluted leathery fronds

   sea tang, tang

   any of various coarse seaweeds

   fucoid, fucoid algae

   any of various algae of the family Fucaceae

   rockweed

   coarse brown seaweed growing on rocks exposed at low tide

   Fucus serratus, serrated wrack, tang

   brown algae seaweed with serrated edges

   Sargassum bacciferum, gulfweed, sargasso, sargassum

   brown algae with rounded bladders forming dense floating masses in tropical Atlantic waters as in the Sargasso Sea

   laver, sea lettuce

   seaweed with edible translucent crinkly green fronds

   pond scum

   free-floating freshwater green algae

   spirogyra

   freshwater algae consisting of minute filaments containing spiral chlorophyll bands

   stonewort

   any of various submerged aquatic algae of the genus Chara having nodes with whorled filamentlike branches; usually encrusted with calcium carbonate deposits

   desmid

   freshwater green algae

   sea moss

   any of various red algae having graceful rose to purple fronds (e.g. dulse or carrageen)

   Chondrus crispus, Irish moss, carageen, carrageen, carragheen

   dark purple edible seaweed of the Atlantic coasts of Europe and North America

   Rhodymenia palmata, dulse

   coarse edible red seaweed

   laver, red laver

   edible red seaweeds

   type of:

   protoctist

   any of the unicellular protists