filter feeder

noun

Any aquatic animal that obtains nourishment by filtering particles of food from the water in which it lives.

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Meanings

nounfilter feeder (plural filter feeders)

plural filter feeders · alternative filter-feeder

  1. biologyAny aquatic animal that obtains nourishment by filtering particles of food from the water in which it lives.

    The best-protected species are the big, peaceful filter feeders, the basking shark and particularly the whale shark, with its photogenic polka dots and mysterious long-range migration patterns.

    2015, Theo Tait, ‘Don't wear yum-yum yellow’, London Review of Books, volume 34, number 15

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
filtrator

Translations

Afrikaans filtervoeder
  • filtervoederany aquatic animal that obtains nourishment by filtering particles of food from the water in which it lives
Dutch filtervoeder
  • filtervoederany aquatic animal that obtains nourishment by filtering particles of food from the water in which it lives
Finnish siivilöijä, ravintonsa siivilöimällä ottava eläin
  • siivilöijäany aquatic animal that obtains nourishment by filtering particles of food from the water in which it lives
  • ravintonsa siivilöimällä ottava eläinany aquatic animal that obtains nourishment by filtering particles of food from the water in which it lives
French filtreur
  • filtreurany aquatic animal that obtains nourishment by filtering particles of food from the water in which it lives
German Filtrierer
  • Filtriererany aquatic animal that obtains nourishment by filtering particles of food from the water in which it lives
Italian filtratore
  • filtratoreany aquatic animal that obtains nourishment by filtering particles of food from the water in which it lives
Polish filtrator
  • filtratorany aquatic animal that obtains nourishment by filtering particles of food from the water in which it lives
Portuguese filtrador
  • filtradorany aquatic animal that obtains nourishment by filtering particles of food from the water in which it lives
Russian фильтра́тор
  • фильтра́тор (filʹtrátor)any aquatic animal that obtains nourishment by filtering particles of food from the water in which it lives
Swedish filtrerare
  • filtrerareany aquatic animal that obtains nourishment by filtering particles of food from the water in which it lives
Welsh hidl-ymborthwr
  • hidl-ymborthwrany aquatic animal that obtains nourishment by filtering particles of food from the water in which it lives
Cite this entry
APA

filter feeder. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/filter%20feeder

MLA

“filter feeder.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/filter%20feeder. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “filter feeder,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/filter%20feeder.

Source: filter feeder on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.