pond scum

noun

1. any free-floating freshwater alga that forms a green scum on water.

pond scum

noun

1. a greenish layer floating on the surface of stagnant waters, consisting of various freshwater algae

Word History and Origins

Origin of pond scum¹

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

B. maeuseri presumably got its dinner in a very similar way, but also more flamingo-like, rippling tentatively through the shallows, slurping up mouthfuls of lagoon water and filtering out the pond scum.

From Salon

One might be: Greitens is like a fetid pool of political pond scum.

From Washington Post

The summer before he started middle school, before he turned into pond scum, he got a forest-green quilt.

From Literature

At those Olympics, everyone knew about the four-man crash and the pond scum.

From Washington Post

Asked directly whether he had sold an airplane to raise money, Lindell called one Salon reporter "flying pond scum" and "slime" before hanging up.

From Salon