ectotherm

[ ek-tuh-thurm ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, Zoology.

a cold-blooded animal.

ectotherm

/ ĕk′tə-thûrm′ /

A cold-blooded organism.
Also called poikilotherm

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Other Words From

ecto·thermic adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of ectotherm¹

First recorded in 1940–45; ecto- + therm

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Example Sentences

As cold-blooded ectotherms, they rely on their environment to control their body temperature, so few species can live too close to the poles—at least for now.

From Popular-Science

ectostosis ectotrophic

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