: a family (usually coextensive with the order Oedogoniales but sometimes placed in Chaetophorales) of filamentous green algae having a characteristic method of growth that gives rise to series of narrow cells at various intervals in the filaments and developing large zoospores with a crown of cilia and also oogonia and antheridia that are sometimes on the same plant but frequently on separate plants with the male plants being often of only a few cells and attached to the female filaments                                      
                
                     
            
   
                   
             
                    
                        
        
        
                                
        
                
                
                
        
                
     
    
                                                    
                                                                                                                                                
            
                                    
                        
                                                    
                                
                       
                                        
                
                                                
                            
            
                                    
                                    
                        
                                            
                                                            
                                    
                                                                
                                
                                    
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
                                        
                                                    
                            
                                                               
                                                
  
  Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!
  Merriam-Webster unabridged
 
                          
                    
Share