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nekton
[ nek-ton, -tuhn ]
noun
- the aggregate of actively swimming aquatic organisms in a body of water, able to move independently of water currents.
nekton
/ ˈnɛktɒn /
noun
- the population of free-swimming animals that inhabits the middle depths of a sea or lake Compare plankton
nekton
/ nĕk′tən,-tŏn′ /
- The collection of marine and freshwater organisms that can swim freely and are generally independent of currents, ranging in size from microscopic organisms to whales.
- Compare benthos
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Derived Forms
- nekˈtonic, adjective
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Other Words From
- nek·tonic adjective
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Word History and Origins
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Word History and Origins
Origin of nekton1
C19: via German from Greek nēkton a swimming thing, from nēkhein to swim
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Example Sentences
Strong swimming animals which move about at will are nekton.
From Project Gutenberg
The animals of the open sea are conveniently divided into the active swimmers (Nekton) and the more passive drifters (Plankton).
From Project Gutenberg
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