extremophile

British  

/ ɪkˈstrɛməˌfaɪl /

noun

1. a microbe that lives in an environment once thought to be uninhabitable, for example in boiling or frozen water

---

extremophile Scientific  

/ ĭk-strē′mə-fīl′ /

1. An organism adapted to living in conditions of extreme temperature, pressure, or chemical concentration, as in highly acidic or salty environments. Many extremophiles are unicellular organisms known as archaea.

---

Example Sentences

Organisms that can survive in this suspended, or anabiotic, state, Yarzábal explained, include not just extremophile bacteria but also viruses, fungi, protozoa and microscopic animals called nematodes.

From Salon • Apr. 20, 2025

In ACS' Journal of Proteome Research, researchers detail a method for more accurate extremophile identification based on protein fragments instead of genetic material.

From Science Daily • Mar. 15, 2024

A breeding ground for extremophile bacteria, like the darkest crevices of the Mariana Trench.

From Washington Post • Jul. 25, 2020

This so-called extremophile makes its unlikely home on the slopes of the Transantarctic Mountains, hemmed in by crushing ice on one side and toxic soils on the other.

From Scientific American • Mar. 17, 2020

And it all relies on extremophile microorganisms that can thrive in environments rich in solutions of salts that are lethal to most forms of life.

From Nature • Mar. 13, 2013