noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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lī'kən
/ˈlaɪ.kən/
lĭ'chən
/ˈlɪtʃ.ən/spelling pronunciation
UK:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -aɪkən
rhymes with -ɪtʃən
homophone: liken
homophone: lycan
CMU ARPABET:L AY1 K AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Any of many symbiotic organisms, being associations of algae and fungi, often found as white or yellow-to-blue–green patches on rocks, old walls, etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Something which gradually spreads across something else, causing damage.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, figuratively, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: cancer
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To cover with lichen.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
any thallophytic plant of the division Lichenes; occur as crusty patches or bushy growths on tree trunks or rocks or bare ground etc.
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Borrowed from Latin līchēn, from Ancient Greek λειχήν (leikhḗn), from λείχω (leíkhō, “to lick”). Originally used of liverwort; the modern sense first recorded 1715.
Across languages
Translations
101 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
liken
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Arabic:
أُشْنَة
(ʔušna)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Arabic:
حَزَاز
(ḥazāz)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Armenian:
քարաքոս
(kʻarakʻos)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Azerbaijani:
şibyə
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Basque:
liken
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Belarusian:
ліша́й
(lišáj)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Belarusian:
ліша́йнік
(lišájnik)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Bengali:
শৈবাল
(śōibal)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Bulgarian:
ли́шей
(líšej)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Burmese:
လေသိုက်
(lesuik)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Catalan:
liquen
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Chinese Mandarin:
地衣
(dìyī)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Czech:
lišejník
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Danish:
lav
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Dutch:
korstmos
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Esperanto:
likeno
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Estonian:
samblik
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Faroese:
skón
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Finnish:
jäkälä
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
French:
lichen
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Friulian:
lichil
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Galician:
orcelo
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Galician:
orco
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Galician:
calquizo
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Galician:
ouricela
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Galician:
escamenta
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Galician:
lique
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Georgian:
ლიქენი
(likeni)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
German:
Flechte
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Greek:
λειχήνα
(leichína)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Ancient Greek:
λειχήν
(leikhḗn)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Hebrew:
חֲזָזִית
(khazazít)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Hindi:
लाइकेन
(lāiken)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Hindi:
शैवाक
(śaivāk)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Hindi:
शैक
(śaik)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Hindi:
काई
(kāī)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Hungarian:
zuzmó
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Icelandic:
flétta
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Icelandic:
skóf
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Ingrian:
kangassammal
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Ingrian:
kantosammal
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Irish:
léicean
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Italian:
lichene
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Japanese:
地衣類
(chiirui)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Kazakh:
қына
(qyna)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Khmer:
កវកាប្យ
(kaʼvĕəʼkaap)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Korean:
지의류
(jiuiryu)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Kyrgyz:
эңилчек
(eŋilcek)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Lao:
ຜາກ
(phāk)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Latin:
līchēn
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Latvian:
ķērpis
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Lithuanian:
kerpės
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Macedonian:
лишај
(lišaj)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Malay:
kulampair
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Malay:
liken
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Māori:
pukoko
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Māori:
hawa
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Māori:
mūna
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Māori:
angiangi
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Marathi:
दगडफूल
(dagaḍphūl)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Marathi:
धोंडफूल
(dhoṇḍphūl)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Marathi:
फत्तरफूल
(phattarphūl)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Marathi:
गिरीपुष्पक
(girīpuṣpak)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Marathi:
शैलज
(śailaj)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Mongolian:
хаг өвс
(xag övs)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Mongolian:
ᠬᠠᠭ ᠡᠪᠡᠰᠦ
(qaɣ ebesü)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Navajo:
dláád
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Norwegian Bokmål:
lav
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Norwegian Nynorsk:
lav
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Old English:
ragu
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Persian:
گلسنگ
(golsang)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Polish:
porost
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Polish:
liszaj
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Portuguese:
líquen
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Romanian:
lichen
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Russian:
лиша́йник
(lišájnik)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Russian:
лиша́й
(lišáj)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Serbo-Croatian:
ли̏ша̄ј
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Serbo-Croatian:
lȉšāj
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Shor:
сырынма
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Slovak:
lišajník
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Slovene:
lišaj
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Upper Sorbian:
lišawa
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Spanish:
liquen
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Swedish:
lav
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Tagalog:
ligbus
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Tajik:
гулсанг
(gulsang)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Tatar:
лишайник
(lişaynik)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Thai:
ตะไคร่
(dtà-krâi)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Thai:
ตะไคร่น้ํา
(dtà-krâi-náam)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Thai:
หญ้าม็อส
(mɔ́ɔt)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Turkish:
liken
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Ottoman Turkish:
مانطار
(mantar)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Ottoman Turkish:
طاش مانطاری
(taş mantarı)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Ukrainian:
лиша́йник
(lyšájnyk)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Urdu:
اشنہ
(ušna)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Uyghur:
مۇخ
(mux)
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Uzbek:
lishaynik
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Vietnamese:
địa y
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
Welsh:
cen
— symbiotic association of algae and fungi
