filter feeder
noun
: an animal (such as a clam or baleen whale) that obtains its food by filtering organic matter or minute organisms from a current of water that passes through some part of its system
Examples of filter feeder in a Sentence
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Demosponges are soft and squishy filter feeders and their ancestors likely shared similar characteristics.
—
Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Working with colleagues, his group discovered that flamingos are far from the passive filter feeders they were long assumed to be.
—John Drake, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Golden mussels are aggressive filter feeders that release nitrogen and phosphorus while filtering, which can contribute to algal blooms and degrade habitats for native fish and plants.
—Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Researchers say mining may harm biodiversity on the seabed, and plumes of debris may threaten filter feeders including some fishes and whales.
—Amber X. Chen, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 July 2025
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Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Working with colleagues, his group discovered that flamingos are far from the passive filter feeders they were long assumed to be.
—John Drake, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Golden mussels are aggressive filter feeders that release nitrogen and phosphorus while filtering, which can contribute to algal blooms and degrade habitats for native fish and plants.
—Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Researchers say mining may harm biodiversity on the seabed, and plumes of debris may threaten filter feeders including some fishes and whales.
—Amber X. Chen, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for filter feeder
Cite this Entry
“Filter feeder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/filter%20feeder. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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