algae

See also: Algae and algæ

English

Pronunciation

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

• Audio (General American); /ˈæl.d͡ʒi/:

  (file)

• Audio (Southern England); /ˈæl.ɡiː/:

  (file)

Noun

algae

1. plural of alga

Noun

algae (usually uncountable, plural algae or 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, 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).

   • 2022 September 3, Taylor Romine and Jason Hanna, “An algae bloom has killed thousands of fish in the San Francisco Bay Area”, in CNN‎^[1]:

     An algae bloom has killed thousands of fish in the San Francisco Bay Area in recent weeks, officials say, forcing shoreline cleanups, spreading unpleasant odor and spurring scientists to further investigate the extent of the ecological damage.

2. (countable) A particular kind of alga.
   • 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

• algaecidal
• antialgae
• globe algae
• oilgae
• Siamese algae-eater

Anagrams

• Galea, galea

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈaɫ.ɡae̯]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈal̠ʲ.d͡ʒe]

Noun

algae

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