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filter feeder
noun
: an animal (such as a clam or baleen whale) that obtains its food by filtering organic matter or minute organisms from a current of water that passes through some part of its system
Examples of filter feeder in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The mollusks are efficient filter feeders and can increase the clarity of water by consuming large quantities of plankton, which native fish and other creatures depend on.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2024
The filter feeders have greatly affected the ecology of the lake, and in some spots, they are caked onto shipwrecks and other artifacts, obscuring the details that make the wrecks come alive, Schott said.
—Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 2 May 2024
Humpback whales are filter feeders and eat small fish and crustaceans, mostly krill.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024
Baleen whales—filter feeders that include blue whales, fin whales and humpback whales—make noises via a larynx, or voice box.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1928, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near filter feeder
Cite this Entry
“Filter feeder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/filter%20feeder. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
filter feeder
noun
: an animal (as a clam or baleen whale) that obtains its food by filtering food particles or tiny living things from water
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