algae

noun

1. Algal organisms viewed collectively or as a mass; algal growth.

   “Algae grows best in shallow water, 3 inches (7.5 cm) deep or less, especially where poor seedbed preparation has created low areas with poor surface drainage, and in fields with inadequate decomposition of organic matter.”

   “Unlike seaweed, which grows in salt water, algae grows in freshwater ponds (chlorella or spirulina) or wild in the Pacific Northwest (Klamath blue green).”

2. A particular kind of alga.

   “This hollow, lumpy, yellow-brown algae grows epiphytically in sac-like clumps on large seaweeds and on rocks.”

   “This algae grows relatively quickly, even in temporary ponds and water holes in the desert, so it remained widely known.”