sargassum

noun

sar·​gas·​sum sär-ˈga-səm How to pronounce sargassum (audio)
: any of a genus (Sargassum) of brown algae that have a branching thallus with lateral outgrowths differentiated as leafy segments, air bladders, or spore-bearing structures : gulfweed

Examples of sargassum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The equipment also may allow Woods Hole researchers to examine the relationship between coastal runoff and the blooms of sargassum that have been choking coastlines in the Caribbean and Southeastern U.S. for years, said Bell, who uses satellite imagery to study coastal waters and their ecosystems. USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2024 The turtles spend a few months to a few years in the shelter of the sargassum, a kindergarten of sorts, said Kevin Flannery, director of the Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium in Ireland. Jonathan Edwards, Anchorage Daily News, 2 Mar. 2023 Someday maybe all those tons of sargassum might be worth their weight in, if not gold, maybe fertilizer. Ashley Miznazi, Sun Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2024 Joe Raedle/Getty Images 1 Gardener transforms seaweed into sustainable construction blocks The invasive sargassum seaweed is no match for Omar de Jesús Vazquez Sánchez. Catherine Garcia, The Week, 27 Apr. 2023 Island officials had been struggling to figure out what to do about the increasing amount of foul-smelling sargassum inundating their shores, an explosion exacerbated by warming ocean temperatures. Stephanie Hanes, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Nov. 2023 More on sargassum:Sargassum, a smelly seaweed, may be coming soon to a Gulf beach near you. Jennifer Sangalang, USA TODAY, 7 June 2023 And because the western coast of the island is protected, expect calm, clear water and no sargassum. Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 12 July 2023 The sargassum that lands on Florida beaches originates in the Gulf of Mexico and the western Caribbean, Hu went on. Zoe Sottile, CNN, 9 July 2023

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

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, borrowed from Portuguese sargaço sargasso

First Known Use

circa 1890, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sargassum was circa 1890

Dictionary Entries Near sargassum

Cite this Entry

“Sargassum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sargassum. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sargassum

noun
sar·​gas·​sum sär-ˈgas-əm How to pronounce sargassum (audio)
: any of a genus of brown algae that have a leafy branching body and air bladders and that often grow in free-floating masses in the ocean

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