foraminifera
plural noun
fo·ra·mi·nif·era
fə-ˌra-mə-ˈni-f(ə-)rə 
ˌfȯr-ə-mə-ˈni-,
ˌfär-
: organisms that are foraminifers
Examples of foraminifera in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Geologists already have historical climate data thanks to a proxy: tiny oceanic organisms known as foraminifera, which built shells of calcium carbonate, died, and sank to the seafloor to become rock.
—
WIRED, 28 Sep. 2023
This three-mile stretch of soft, pink sand — which gets its color from seashells and microscopic organisms called foraminifera — is a place to go for total relaxation.
—Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2023
This three-mile stretch of smooth sand — whose pink hue comes from the seashells of microscopic organisms called foraminifera — ranges from 50 to 100 feet wide depending on the tide.
—Noelle Khalila Nicolls, Travel + Leisure, 3 Apr. 2023
Everything’s a little rosier in Bermuda — and that’s not just because of the red foraminifera organisms that turn the sand pink.
—Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 26 Mar. 2023
Scientists probed equatorial cold-tongue biases, and blamed the difficulty of predicting El Niño’s North American Januaries on Tibet, where large foraminifera were found to have been more vulnerable than small ones during the extinction pulses of the early Jurassic.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 27 Oct. 2020
Goff and other researchers also look for microscopic marine organisms like diatoms and foraminifera, ancient DNA from marine life, changes to geochemistry, and, as in the Atacama, unexpected boulders.
—Nathaniel Scharping, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Feb. 2023
The remains of foraminifera from 3 million years ago have yielded chemical clues to the height of the seas at that time.
—Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 6 Dec. 2019
The foraminifera went from 2 species early in the Cenozoic to over 30.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 20 Apr. 2011
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WIRED, 28 Sep. 2023
This three-mile stretch of soft, pink sand — which gets its color from seashells and microscopic organisms called foraminifera — is a place to go for total relaxation.
—Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2023
This three-mile stretch of smooth sand — whose pink hue comes from the seashells of microscopic organisms called foraminifera — ranges from 50 to 100 feet wide depending on the tide.
—Noelle Khalila Nicolls, Travel + Leisure, 3 Apr. 2023
Everything’s a little rosier in Bermuda — and that’s not just because of the red foraminifera organisms that turn the sand pink.
—Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 26 Mar. 2023
Scientists probed equatorial cold-tongue biases, and blamed the difficulty of predicting El Niño’s North American Januaries on Tibet, where large foraminifera were found to have been more vulnerable than small ones during the extinction pulses of the early Jurassic.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 27 Oct. 2020
Goff and other researchers also look for microscopic marine organisms like diatoms and foraminifera, ancient DNA from marine life, changes to geochemistry, and, as in the Atacama, unexpected boulders.
—Nathaniel Scharping, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Feb. 2023
The remains of foraminifera from 3 million years ago have yielded chemical clues to the height of the seas at that time.
—Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 6 Dec. 2019
The foraminifera went from 2 species early in the Cenozoic to over 30.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 20 Apr. 2011
Dictionary Entries Near foraminifera
Cite this Entry
“Foraminifera.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foraminifera. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
foraminifera
plural noun
fo·ra·mi·nif·era
fə-ˌram-ə-ˈnif-(ə-)rə
ˌfȯr-ə-mə-ˈnif-,
ˌfär-
: protozoans that are foraminifers
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