extremophile

British  

/ ɪkˈstrɛməˌfaɪl /

noun

1. a microbe that lives in an environment once thought to be uninhabitable, for example in boiling or frozen water

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extremophile Scientific  

/ ĭk-strē′mə-fīl′ /

1. An organism adapted to living in conditions of extreme temperature, pressure, or chemical concentration, as in highly acidic or salty environments. Many extremophiles are unicellular organisms known as archaea.

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Example Sentences

The extremophile bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans can survive the pressures developed during ejection from Mars as a result of massive asteroid impact.

From Science Daily • Mar. 3, 2026

"Sometimes we call this organism extremophiles. But you know, if you think the other way around as human, we are the extremophile," Giovannelli said on the What is Life? podcast.

From Salon • Feb. 10, 2023

Despite their trouble culturing their extremophile samples, the researchers discovered a vast diversity of microorganisms in all five locations.

From Scientific American • Jul. 21, 2021

A breeding ground for extremophile bacteria, like the darkest crevices of the Mariana Trench.

From Washington Post • Jul. 25, 2020

“But it's an enzyme from an extremophile microbe that's being used in tests to diagnose COVID-19 right now.”

From Nature • Jul. 12, 2020