saprophyte

[ sap-ruh-fahyt ]

noun
  1. any organism that lives on dead organic matter, as certain fungi and bacteria.

Origin of saprophyte

1
First recorded in 1870–75; sapro- + -phyte

Other words from saprophyte

  • sap·ro·phyt·ic [sap-ruh-fit-ik], /ˌsæp rəˈfɪt ɪk/, adjective
  • sap·ro·phyt·i·cal·ly, adverb

Words Nearby saprophyte

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How to use saprophyte in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for saprophyte

saprophyte

/ (ˈsæprəʊˌfaɪt) /


noun
  1. 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

saprophyte

[ săprə-fīt′ ]


  1. 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-fĭtĭk)

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