algae

See also: Algae and algæ

English

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈæl.d͡ʒi/, /ˈæl.ɡi/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈæl.ɡiː/, /ˈæl.dʒiː/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Noun

algae

1. plural of alga

Noun

algae (usually uncountable, plural algaes)

1. Algal organisms viewed collectively or as a mass; algal growth.
   • 1993, Integrated Pest Management for Rice, 2nd Ed., page 54:

     Algae grows best in shallow water, 3 inches (7.5 cm) deep or less, especially where poor seedbed preparation has created low areas with poor surface drainage, and in fields with inadequate decomposition of organic matter.

   • 2014, Terry Wahls and Eve Adamson, The Wahls Protocol: How I Beat Progressive MS Using Paleo Principles and Functional Medicine, page 280:

     Unlike seaweed, which grows in salt water, algae grows in freshwater ponds (chlorella or spirulina) or wild in the Pacific Northwest (Klamath blue green).

2. (countable) A particular kind of algae.
   • 1984, Deborah A. Coulombe, The Seaside Naturalist: A Guide to Study at the Seashore, page 33:

     This hollow, lumpy, yellow-brown algae grows epiphytically in sac-like clumps on large seaweeds and on rocks.

   • 1997, Amadeo M. Rea, At the Desert's Green Edge: An Ethnobotany of the Gila River Pima, page 98:

     This algae grows relatively quickly, even in temporary ponds and water holes in the desert, so it remained widely known.

   • 2006, Andi Brown, The Whole Pet Diet: Eight Weeks to Great Health for Dogs and Cats, page 144:

     Although often lumped together, spirulina is a blue-green algae whereas chlorella is a green algae.

Usage notes

• Etymologically, algae is the plural of alga, but algae is sometimes used as an uncountable noun with singular verb agreement (similar to the usage of the word seaweed), or as a count noun to refer to a type of algae. The plural form algaes may be considered nonstandard.

Derived terms

• algal

Anagrams

• Galea, galea

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Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈal.ɡae̯/, [ˈäɫ̪ɡäe̯]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈal.d͡ʒe/, [ˈäl̠ʲd͡ʒe]

Noun

algae

1. inflection of alga:
   1. nominative/vocative plural
   2. genitive/dative singular