haustorium
a projection from the hypha of a fungus into the organic matter from which it absorbs nutrients.
the penetrating feeding organ of certain parasites.
Origin of haustorium
1Other words from haustorium
- haus·to·ri·al, adjective
Words Nearby haustorium
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for haustorium
/ (hɔːˈstɔːrɪəm) /
the organ of a parasitic plant that penetrates the host tissues and absorbs food and water from them
Origin of haustorium
1Derived forms of haustorium
- haustorial, adjective
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 haustorium
[ hô-stôr′ē-əm ]
A specialized absorbing structure of a parasitic fungus or plant, such as the rootlike outgrowth of the dodder, that obtains food from a host plant. In parasitic fungi, haustoria are specialized hyphae that penetrate the cells of other organisms and absorb nutrients directly from them.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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