plankter

Meanings

1. A single organism of plankton.

Etymology

Borrowed from German Plankter, from Koine Greek πλαγκτήρ (planktḗr, “wanderer; one who leads another astray, beguiler”), modelled after German Plankton (“plankton”). Πλαγκτήρ (Planktḗr) is derived from Ancient Greek πλάζομαι (plázomai) (the mediopassive of πλᾰ́ζω (plắzō, “to turn away from (something); to roam, wander”)) + -τήρ (-tḗr, suffix forming masculine agent nouns from verbs). By surface analysis, plankt- + -er.