metatrophic

[ met-uh-trof-ik, -troh-fik ]

adjective
  1. requiring dead organic matter for food.

Origin of metatrophic

1
First recorded in 1895–1900; meta- + trophic

Other words from metatrophic

  • met·a·troph [met-uh-trof, -trawf], /ˈmɛt əˌtrɒf, -ˌtrɔf/, noun
  • me·tat·ro·phy [muh-ta-truh-fee], /məˈtæ trə fi/, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024