saprophyte
any organism that lives on dead organic matter, as certain fungi and bacteria.
Origin of saprophyte
1- Also called saprobe.
Other words from saprophyte
- sap·ro·phyt·ic [sap-ruh-fit-ik], /ˌsæp rəˈfɪt ɪk/, adjective
- sap·ro·phyt·i·cal·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use saprophyte in a sentence
(b) Both saprophytic and facultative parasitic bacteria agree in requiring non-concentrated food.
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique | John William Henry EyreThe saprophytic bacteria are the bacteria of decay, putrefaction, and fermentation.
The ground bacteria are divided into two groups—saprophytic and pathogenic.
Nearly all bacteria, owing to the absence of chlorophyll, are saprophytic or parasitic forms.
That these later organisms are saprophytic, although not bacterial, there can be no doubt.
British Dictionary definitions for saprophyte
/ (ˈsæprəʊˌfaɪt) /
any plant that lives and feeds on dead organic matter using mycorrhizal fungi associated with its roots; a saprotrophic plant
Derived forms of saprophyte
- saprophytic (ˌsæprəʊˈfɪtɪk), adjective
- saprophytically, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for saprophyte
[ săp′rə-fīt′ ]
An organism, especially a fungus or bacterium, that lives on and gets its nourishment from dead organisms or decaying organic material. Saprophytes recycle organic material in the soil, breaking it down into in simpler compounds that can be taken up by other organisms.
Other words from saprophyte
- saprophytic adjective (săp′rə-fĭt′ĭk)
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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