any floating brown seaweed of the genus Sargassum, such as gulfweed, of warm seas, having ribbon-like fronds containing air sacs
Word origin
C18: from New Latin; see sargasso
sargassum in American English
(sɑrˈgæsəm)
noun
any of a genus (Sargassum, family Sargassaceae) of floating brown algae (order Fucales) found in tropical seas and having a main stem with flattened outgrowths like leaves, and branches with berry-like air sacs
: also sarˈgasso (sɑrˈgæsoʊ)Word forms: pluralsarˈgassos or sargasso weed