Standard Lemma guide

planktivore

noun · 1 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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  • General-American: plăngkʹtĭvôr'
  • General-American: /ˈplæŋktɪˌvɔɹ/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈplæŋktɪˌvɔː/
  • plăngkʹtĭvōr' rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
  • /ˈplæŋktɪˌvo(ː)ɹ/ rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
  • /ˈplæŋktɪˌvoə/ non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger

1

noun

Meaning 1

An animal feeding primarily on plankton, such as a blue whale.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English plankton Proto-Indo-European *gwerh3- Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *gworh3éh2 Proto-Italic *worā Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh2yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h2tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin vorōder. English -vore English planktivore From plankton + -vore.