seaweed
seaweed Lexical Profile
seaweed Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The edible fronds or thalli of various marine algae, such as nori, wakame, kombu, or dulse, harvested and prepared as a nutrient-rich sea vegetable in soups, salads, sushi, and savory snacks.
"The miso soup was garnished with tender strips of rehydrated seaweed and diced tofu."
Any of numerous macroscopic, multicellular marine algae—including red, brown, and green species such as kelp, wrack, and dulse—that grow anchored to rocky seabeds or float freely in oceans and coastal waters worldwide.
"Thick beds of brown seaweed swayed gently in the underwater current along the rocky coastline."
Word Nuance & Usage
Although commonly referred to and categorized alongside marine plants in everyday speech, true seaweeds are macroscopic, multicellular marine algae rather than vascular land plants.
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in late Middle English as a compound of 'sea' (from Old English 'sǣ') and 'weed' (from Old English 'wēod', meaning grass, herb, or wild plant).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.