phytophagous

American  

[fahy-tof-uh-guhs] / faɪˈtɒf ə gəs /

adjective

1. herbivorous.

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phytophagous British  

/ faɪˈtɒfədʒɪ, faɪˈtɒfəɡəs /

adjective

1. (esp of insects) feeding on plants

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Other Word Forms

• phytophagy noun

Etymology

Origin of phytophagous

First recorded in 1820–30; phyto- + -phagous

Example Sentences

What can be the meaning or use of the great diversity of the external generative organs in your cases, in Bombus, and the phytophagous coleoptera?

From More Letters of Charles Darwin — Volume 1 by Darwin, Francis, Sir

Chlamys, klā′mis, n. an ancient Greek short cloak or mantle for men: a purple cope: a genus of phytophagous beetles.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various

Adj. eatable, edible, esculent†, comestible, alimentary; cereal, cibarious†; dietetic; culinary; nutritive, nutritious; gastric; succulent; potable, potulent†; bibulous. omnivorous, carnivorous, herbivorous, granivorous, graminivorous, phytivorous; ichthyivorous; omophagic, omophagous; pantophagous, phytophagous, xylophagous.

From Roget's Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases by Roget, Peter Mark

The insects of this order in their larval condition are almost all phytophagous, and are very uniform both in structure and in habits.

From On the Origin and Metamorphoses of Insects by Lubbock, John, Sir

Sagra, sā′gra, n. a genus of phytophagous beetles of brilliant colours.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various