aufwuchs
English
Etymology
Borrowed from German Aufwuchs (“surface growth, overgrowth”).
Noun
aufwuchs (countable and uncountable, plural aufwuchs)
- The small animals and plants that encrust hard substrates, such as rocks, in aquatic environments.
Usage notes
- Aufwuchs may be used with plural verbs ("the aufwuchs are...") or singular verbs ("the aufwuchs is..."). Rarely, aufwuch is used as a singular form, denoting a single small animal or plant that forms part of the aufwuchs.