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Definition of water lettuce
water lettuce
Plural:water lettuces
water lettuce Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
8
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A free-floating aquatic plant native to tropical and subtropical bodies of water, characterized by a rosette of thick, soft, light-green leaves that resemble a small head of lettuce, often considered an invasive species outside its native range.
Example
"The pond's surface was completely choked by a dense mat of water lettuce, preventing sunlight from reaching the submerged aquatic life."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for water lettuce• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined from 'water' due to its aquatic habitat, and 'lettuce' because its thick, light green leaves form a rosette that visually resembles a head of garden lettuce.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Water lettuce. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 16, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/water lettuce