aegagropila

noun

ae·​ga·​grop·​i·​la
ˌē-gə-ˈgrä-pə-lə
1
or less commonly aegagropile or egagropile
ē-ˈga-grō-ˌpīl
 plural aegagropilas or aegagropilae
ˌē-gə-ˈgrä-pə-ˌlē
 also aegagropiles or egagropiles : a ball of hair or a concretion found in the stomach of the goat and other ruminants
2
plural aegagropilas or aegagropilae : a ball-shaped mass of hairlike filaments formed by some algae (as certain species of the genus Cladophora)
3
capitalized in some classifications : a genus of algae comprising all forms forming aegagropilas
aegagropilous
¦ē-gə-¦grä-pə-ləs
adjective

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek aigagros + Latin pila ball, from pilus hair

First Known Use

1699, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of aegagropila was in 1699

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Dictionary Entries Near aegagropila

AEF

aegagropila

aegagrus

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Aegagropila.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aegagropila. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
sweet smart pug puppy dog sitting in front of blackboard with chalk question marks
Commonly Confused Words Quiz Vol. 3 Do you have a (flare/flair) for choosing the righ...