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

When you can do that, you're called an extremophile.

From Salon • Apr. 20, 2025

In ACS' Journal of Proteome Research, researchers detail a method for more accurate extremophile identification based on protein fragments instead of genetic material.

From Science Daily • Mar. 15, 2024

Out of more than 1,000 different extremophile species gathered from those sites, the team managed to grow just 31 in the lab.

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