sea sawdust

English - English

Definition of sea sawdust in English English dictionary

Marine blue-green algae (cyanobacteria, actually brown coloured) of the family Trichodesmium

1770: The seamen who are now convinc'd that it was not as they had thought the spawn of fish began to call it Sea sawdust, a name certainly not ill adapted to its appearance. — The Endeavour Journal of Sir Joseph Banks.

Hyphenation

sea saw·dust

Turkish pronunciation

si sôdʌst

Pronunciation

/ˈsē ˈsôˌdəst/ /ˈsiː ˈsɔːˌdʌst/

Etymology

() Coined by sailors on Captain James Cook's 1768-71 voyage (his first voyage) to the south seas and Australia.