endolithic

American

[en-doh-lith-ik] / ˌɛn doʊˈlɪθ ɪk /

adjective

living embedded in the surface of rocks, as certain lichens.

endolithic British

/ ˌɛndəʊˈlɪθɪk /

adjective

(of organisms, such as algae) growing inside rock

"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

Etymology

Origin of endolithic

First recorded in 1885–90; endo- + -lithic

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023