Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The impairment or degradation of something, such as a ship's hull or mechanical equipment, as a result of the growth or activity of living organisms.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The accumulation of living organisms on some surface by bacteria, fungi, protozoa, algae and invertebrates.

Etymologies

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Examples

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  • *waits for skip and chained*

    February 14, 2009

  • "Marine biofouling is the process in which organisms such as barnacles problematically colonize underwater surfaces. When it happens to the hulls of ships, the vessels become less hydrodynamic, having to burn more fuel in order to move through the water."

    - Ben Coxworth, Electrolysis-based anti-biofouling system keeps hulls clean, gizmag.com, 7 Dec 2012.

    December 10, 2012