bladderwort
noun
blad·der·wort
ˈbla-dər-ˌwərt 
-ˌwȯrt
: any of a genus (Utricularia of the family Lentibulariaceae, the bladderwort family) of chiefly aquatic plants having leaves with tiny saclike structures to trap small invertebrates
Examples of bladderwort in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As a result, the pitcher plant must draw its nitrogen from animal prey--just as other bog plants do, such as the Venus flytrap, the sundew, and the bladderwort.
—
Carl Zimmer, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
This fearsome looking creature, a humped bladderwort, is a freshwater carnivorous plant, magnified 100x.
—Discover Magazine, 14 Oct. 2015
Taking just a few milliseconds to open and close, the bladderwort’s speedy trap was not fully documented until 2010, when researchers captured the process using high-speed video.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 26 Aug. 2015
The bladderwort sets its traps by pumping out the water inside them.
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2011
But flowers with pollen concealed within their petals, such as the common bladderwort, decreased their UV pigment as temperatures went up—regardless of whether ozone levels changed.
—Lucy Hicks, Science | AAAS, 28 Sep. 2020
In puddle-deep tracks next to the levees the endless squiggles of Florida bladderwort, an aquatic plant, kept looking like snakes, and weren’t.
—Gena Steffens, Smithsonian, 11 July 2019
The zoo will also have carnivorous plants such as Venus flytrap, pitcher plant and bladderwort.
—James Ewinger, cleveland.com, 24 May 2017
Throughout its evolutionary history, the bladderwort acquired its curated genetic possessions in a couple of ways.
—Joanna Klein, New York Times, 19 May 2017
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Carl Zimmer, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
This fearsome looking creature, a humped bladderwort, is a freshwater carnivorous plant, magnified 100x.
—Discover Magazine, 14 Oct. 2015
Taking just a few milliseconds to open and close, the bladderwort’s speedy trap was not fully documented until 2010, when researchers captured the process using high-speed video.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 26 Aug. 2015
The bladderwort sets its traps by pumping out the water inside them.
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2011
But flowers with pollen concealed within their petals, such as the common bladderwort, decreased their UV pigment as temperatures went up—regardless of whether ozone levels changed.
—Lucy Hicks, Science | AAAS, 28 Sep. 2020
In puddle-deep tracks next to the levees the endless squiggles of Florida bladderwort, an aquatic plant, kept looking like snakes, and weren’t.
—Gena Steffens, Smithsonian, 11 July 2019
The zoo will also have carnivorous plants such as Venus flytrap, pitcher plant and bladderwort.
—James Ewinger, cleveland.com, 24 May 2017
Throughout its evolutionary history, the bladderwort acquired its curated genetic possessions in a couple of ways.
—Joanna Klein, New York Times, 19 May 2017
Cite this Entry
“Bladderwort.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bladderwort. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bladderwort
noun
blad·der·wort
-ˌwərt
-ˌwȯ(ə)rt
: any of several plants growing in water or on wet shores and having insect-catching bladders on the stem
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share