anaerobic

[ an-uh-roh-bik, an-ai- ]

adjective
  1. (of an organism or tissue) living in the absence of air or free oxygen.

  2. pertaining to or caused by the absence of oxygen.

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Origin of anaerobic

1
First recorded in 1880–85; anaerobe + -ic

Other words from anaerobic

  • an·aer·o·bi·cal·ly, adverb

Words Nearby anaerobic

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How to use anaerobic in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for anaerobic

anaerobic

/ (ˌænɛəˈrəʊbɪk) /


adjective
  1. (of an organism or process) requiring the absence of or not dependent on the presence of oxygen

  2. of or relating to anaerobes

Derived forms of anaerobic

  • anaerobically, 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 anaerobic

anaerobic

[ ăn′ə-rōbĭk ]


  1. Occurring in the absence of oxygen or not requiring oxygen to live. Anaerobic bacteria produce energy from food molecules without the presence of oxygen. Compare aerobic.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for anaerobic

anaerobic

[ (an-uh-roh-bik, an-air-oh-bik) ]


A descriptive term for a process, such as fermentation, that can proceed only in the absence of oxygen, or a living thing that can survive only in the absence of oxygen. (Compare aerobic.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.