lichen
noun
, British also ˈli-chən\
Definition of lichen
Note: The main body of the lichen, known as the thallus, is formed by fungal filaments which surround the photosynthetic algal or cyanobacterial cells. The lichen is usually described as having a leaflike (foliose), crusty (crustose), or branching shrub-like (fruticose) form. Lichens often play an important part in the weathering of rocks and include some that are sources of natural dyes.
Illustration of lichen
lichen 1
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Other Words from lichen
, British also ˈli-chənd \
adjective
, British also ˈli-chə- \
adjective
Examples of lichen in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Tardigrades, which are no longer than 1 millimeter, live in water or in the film of water on plants like lichen or moss. — Cnn, The Mercury News, "Are tardigrades alive on the moon after spacecraft’s crash landing?," 7 Aug. 2019 Periodic cleaning can remove bird droppings, lichens, mosses, molds and various stains. — Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, "Be careful when you’re cleaning gravestones," 5 Aug. 2019 Mosses, lichens, fern mats, even other trees all grow in the canopy soil. — NBC News, "Cloning giant redwoods could help combat climate change," 28 July 2019 Atop the permafrost sits an insulating layer of moss and lichen a few inches thick. — Matthew Cappucci, BostonGlobe.com, "Alaska’s summer heat has been ‘basically off the charts’," 30 July 2019 But, after reading names and epitaphs while gently scrubbing acid rain and lichen off of centuries-old stones, Gonci said her curiosity grew about the people buried beneath them. — courant.com, "Group Works To Restore Graves At Wall Street Cemetery," 24 June 2019 Lavishly illustrated with photographs and maps, the book offers beauty both grand and intimate — even the lichen snails and toads get their due. — Lynda V. Mapes, The Seattle Times, "David Moskowitz captures the beauty — and fragility — of the Northwest’s mountain caribou," 11 Feb. 2019 The fire is burning in higher alpine areas where the fuel is grass and lichen, rather than highly flammable stands of black spruce and other trees. — Jeff Parrott, Anchorage Daily News, "Fire updates: Hess Creek fire continues to grow, Swan Lake fire conditions improve," 11 July 2019 But lichens, made of fungi and algae that live together as symbiotic organisms, evolved to replace plants, according to a recent study published in Scientific Reports. — Ashley Strickland, CNN, "The weird Upside Down science behind 'Stranger Things'," 4 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lichen.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for lichen
lichen
noun
English Language Learners Definition of lichen
See the full definition for lichen in the English Language Learners Dictionary
lichen
noun
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Kids Definition of lichen
lichen
noun
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Medical Definition of lichen
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