extremophile
/ (ɪkˈstrɛməˌfaɪl) /
noun
a microbe that lives in an environment once thought to be uninhabitable, for example in boiling or frozen water
Words nearby extremophile
extremely low frequency, extremism, extremist, extremitas, extremity, extremophile, extremum, extricable, extricate, extrinsic, extrinsic allergic alveolitis
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
Science definitions for extremophile
extremophile
[ ĭk-strē′mə-fīl′ ]
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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.