Ōs'çil-la-tō'ri-ă, n. pl.

n. pl. [See infra.] (Nat. Hist.) A group of minute confervoid algae, having oscillatory motions. They are usually of a filamentous structure, sometimes branched, spinal, or moniliform. Little is known of their development or nature, and many were at first supposed to belong to the animal kingdom. [Written also oscillaria.]