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# alga

noun (an alga, algae)

«alga» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. An alga is a single simple plant-like living thing that grows in water or damp places and makes food from sunlight; it has no roots, stems, leaves or flowers. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/alga/#m1)
2. Usually the word is used in the plural, algae: the green slime in ponds, the green on fish tanks, and seaweeds are all algae. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/alga/#m2)

### In the lessons

In science lessons algae are producers at the start of water food chains and make much of the world's oxygen. Too much algae can turn a pond green and harm fish (an «algal bloom»). In everyday life algae make rocks, pools and fish tanks slippery. Phrases: «algae grow», «green algae», «algal bloom».

### Examples

- Algae made the pond look green. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/alga/#x1)
- One tiny alga can only be seen under a microscope. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/alga/#x2)
- Seaweed is a kind of algae. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/alga/#x3)
- Algae make food from sunlight like plants. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/alga/#x4)
- We cleaned the algae off the fish tank glass. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/alga/#x5)
- Watch out, the rocks are slippery with algae. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/alga/#x6)
- Some blue-green algae are poisonous to dogs. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/alga/#x7)
- Fish and tadpoles eat algae. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/alga/#x8)

### Note

Irregular plural: one alga, many algae (say «AL-guh», «AL-jee» or «AL-gee»). «Algae» is far more common; «alga» is the singular, mostly in science. Myth: algae are not exactly plants; scientists put them in their own groups. Safety: keep pets out of water with a thick green or blue scum.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «alga» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/alga/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«alga» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/alga.html) on Mova free.