filter feeder

noun

: an animal (such as a clam or baleen whale) that obtains its food by filtering organic matter or minute organisms from a current of water that passes through some part of its system

Examples of filter feeder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The filter feeders have greatly affected the ecology of the lake, and in some spots, they are caked onto shipwrecks and other artifacts, obscuring the details that make the wrecks come alive, Schott said. —

Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 2 May 2024 Humpback whales are filter feeders and eat small fish and crustaceans, mostly krill. —

Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024 Baleen whales—filter feeders that include blue whales, fin whales and humpback whales—make noises via a larynx, or voice box. —

Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024 As previously reported, the largest shark alive today, reaching up to 20 meters long, is the whale shark, a sedate filter feeder. —

Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 22 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for filter feeder

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'filter feeder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of filter feeder was in 1928

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Filter feeder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/filter%20feeder. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.

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