free-swimming

[ free-swim-ing ]

adjective

, Zoology.

1. (of aquatic organisms) not attached to a base nor joined in a colony; capable of swimming about freely.

free-swimming

adjective

1. (of aquatic animals or larvae) not sessile or attached to any object and therefore able to swim freely in the water

Derived Forms

• ˌfree-ˈswimmer, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of free-swimming¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

“Observations of free-swimming newborn white sharks are extremely rare,” says Tobey Curtis, a shark scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who was not involved in the research.

From Science Magazine

Currently, the researchers are refining their imaging techniques and experimental platform for a follow-up study to examine free-swimming sperm under similar conditions.

From Science Daily

Living throughout the world’s temperate and tropical seas, stalked barnacles begin life as free-swimming larvae that ride ocean currents until they settle, often en masse, on driftwood, a ship’s hull, or other floating objects.

From National Geographic

“Instead we relied on a spotter plane to find free-swimming sharks and radioed their locations to a research vessel,” the Aleutian Dream.

From Scientific American

What the finding means is that the ancestor of all animals, including sponges, already had a well-developed nervous system, and it probably was free-swimming, Cartwright adds.

From Scientific American