ectotherm

American  

[ek-tuh-thurm] / ˈɛk təˌθɜrm /

noun

Zoology.

1. a cold-blooded animal.

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ectotherm Scientific  

/ ĕk′tə-thûrm′ /

1. A cold-blooded organism.

2. Also called poikilotherm

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Other Word Forms

• ectothermic adjective

Etymology

Origin of ectotherm

First recorded in 1940–45; ecto- + therm

Example Sentences

Jones noted that there is growing interest in studying the heat tolerance and acclimation capacity of ectotherms in the face of changing abiotic conditions such as ambient temperature.

From Science Daily

According to the report, ectotherms, or cold-blooded animals, are approximately 90% more energy efficient than warm-blooded animals and, in the context of agriculture, “this energy differential readily translates into a potential for higher production efficiency.”

From Salon

That seems to be the case for tropical ectotherms, or "cold-blooded" animals such as amphibians, reptiles, and insects.

From Science Daily

Reptiles are ectotherms which rely on their external environment to maintain body temperature.

From Science Daily

"Endotherm and ectotherm vertebrates may process cognitive tasks in fundamentally different ways due to differences in brain organisation," the authors argued.

From Salon