Meaning: A home appliance for washing clothes and linens automatically. Classified under: Nouns denoting man-made objects. Synonyms: automatic washer; washing machine; washer. Hypernyms (washer is a kind of...): white goods (large electrical home appliances (refrigerators or washing machines etc.) that are typically finished in white enamel)
Diatoms are a major group of algae, and are among the most common types of phytoplankton. Diatoms are unicellular, although they can form colonies in the shape of filaments or ribbons (e.g. Fragilaria), fans (e.g. Meridion), zigzags (e.g. Tabellaria), or stars (e.g. Asterionella). unique feature of diatom cells is that they are enclosed within a cell wall made of silica (hydrated silicon dioxide) called a frustule.
The cell walls of diatoms are made of silica formed into their characteristic pillbox shape. Diatoms are composed of two valves or frustules, one on top of the other, within which the living matter of the diatom is found.