nekton

N1E1K5T1O1N1

noun

All organisms in the ocean that are capable of swimming independently of currents.

OriginGerman Nekton →
UncommonScrabble 10
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Meanings

nounnekton (countable and uncountable, plural nektons)

plural nektons

  1. countableuncountablebiologyAll organisms in the ocean that are capable of swimming independently of currents.

Origin

  1. GermanNekton
  2. Englishnekton

From German Nekton which was coined in 1890 by Ernst Haeckel. By surface analysis, Ancient Greek νηκτός (nēktós, “swimming”) + -on.

More words from German

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish nektoni
  • nektoniorganisms in the ocean
French necton
  • nectonorganisms in the ocean
German Nekton
  • Nektonorganisms in the ocean
Hindi तरणक
  • तरणक (tarṇak)organisms in the ocean
Italian necton
  • nectonorganisms in the ocean
Portuguese nécton
  • néctonorganisms in the ocean
Spanish necton
  • nectonorganisms in the ocean

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Kenton
Cite this entry
APA

nekton. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nekton

MLA

“nekton.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nekton. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nekton,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nekton.

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