microfauna

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noun

The smallest of the faunal size divisions, including mainly microorganisms but also sometimes applied to the tiniest species of animal groups such as ticks, insects, etc.

OriginEnglish fauna ← Ancient Greek μῑκρο- (mīkro-) ← Proto-Indo-European *mey-der.? →
Scrabble 17
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Meanings

nounmicrofauna (plural microfaunae or microfaunas)

plural microfaunae · plural microfaunas

  1. The smallest of the faunal size divisions, including mainly microorganisms but also sometimes applied to the tiniest species of animal groups such as ticks, insects, etc.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*mey-der.?
  2. Ancient Greekμῑκρός (mīkrós)
  3. Ancient Greekμῑκρο- (mīkro-)
  4. Englishmicro-
  5. Englishfauna
  6. Englishmicrofauna

From micro- (“small, tiny”) + fauna (“animals”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian микрофа́уна
  • микрофа́уна (mikrofáuna)smallest of the faunal size divisions
Catalan microfauna
  • microfaunasmallest of the faunal size divisions
Finnish mikrofauna
  • mikrofaunasmallest of the faunal size divisions
Romanian microfaună
  • microfaunăsmallest of the faunal size divisions
Spanish microfauna
  • microfaunasmallest of the faunal size divisions
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

“microfauna.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/microfauna. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “microfauna,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/microfauna.

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