food web

noun

: the totality of interacting food chains in an ecological community

Examples of food web in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Contributors began using the portal in 2015 to log water temperature and salinity data, note observations of important wildlife species—such as beluga and common eider ducks—and track the flow of contaminants through the food web. Hannah Hoag, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Feb. 2024 Like today, the warming climate affected the environment on land and in the sea, with extreme downpours and heat-stressed plankton at the base of the food web. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 4 Oct. 2023 One dead animal can support a whole pop-up food web of microbes, soil fauna and arthropods that make their living off carcasses. Jennifer Debruyn, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2023 Warmer water helps phytoplankton, microscopic plant-like organisms that form the base of the food web, bloom. Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2024 The researchers found that centuries ago different types of sharks were feeding on animals that occupied the same level of the food web—prey that lived near each other and ate similar things. Sarah Sloat, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Feb. 2024 The impacts cascaded through the food web, affecting fish, birds and whales. Lauren Sommer, NPR, 29 Feb. 2024 If temperatures get too high, certain species might suffer, shaking the foundations of the ocean food web. Matt Simon, WIRED, 15 Feb. 2024 Shading the understory can cause diverse grasses and shrubs to die off–triggering a ripple effect of cascading species losses all across the food web. Popular Science, 15 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'food web.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of food web was in 1932

Dictionary Entries Near food web

Cite this Entry

“Food web.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/food%20web. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

food web

noun
: the whole group of interacting food chains in an ecological community

More from Merriam-Webster on food web

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