coccolith

C3O1C3C3O1L1I1T1H4

noun

A microscopic skeletal plate of calcite on the surface of certain marine phytoplankton; it forms chalk and limestone when fossilized

OriginAncient Greek κόκκος →
Scrabble 18
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Meanings

coccolith1

nouncoccolith (plural coccoliths)

plural coccoliths

  1. biologyA microscopic skeletal plate of calcite on the surface of certain marine phytoplankton; it forms chalk and limestone when fossilized

coccolith2

nouncoccolith (plural coccoliths)

plural coccoliths

  1. alternativechemistryAlternative form of coccolite (“diopside”).

Origin

coccolith · noun

Derived from coccolithophore. By surface analysis, Ancient Greek κόκκος (kókkos, “grain, seed”) + Ancient Greek λίθος (líthos, “stone”), due to the shape of the organism's exoskeleton.

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coccolith · noun

  1. Ancient Greekκόκκος“kernel”
  2. Englishcoccolith

From Ancient Greek κόκκος (kókkos, “kernel”) + -lith.

More words from Ancient Greek

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Cite this entry
APA

coccolith. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/coccolith

MLA

“coccolith.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/coccolith. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “coccolith,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/coccolith.

Source: coccolith on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.