haustorium

American  

[haw-stawr-ee-uhm, -stohr-] / hɔˈstɔr i əm, -ˈstoʊr- /

noun

plural

haustoria

1. a projection from the hypha of a fungus into the organic matter from which it absorbs nutrients.

2. the penetrating feeding organ of certain parasites.

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haustorium British  

/ hɔːˈstɔːrɪəm /

noun

1. the organ of a parasitic plant that penetrates the host tissues and absorbs food and water from them

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haustorium Scientific  

/ hô-stôr′ē-əm /

plural

haustoria

1. A specialized absorbing structure of a parasitic fungus or plant, such as the rootlike outgrowth of the dodder, that obtains food from a host plant. In parasitic fungi, haustoria are specialized hyphae that penetrate the cells of other organisms and absorb nutrients directly from them.

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Other Word Forms

• haustorial
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of haustorium

1870–75; < New Latin, equivalent to Latin haus- (variant stem of haurīre to draw, scoop up) + -tōrium -tory ²

Example Sentences

The peg is then followed by a haustorium, the root that plugs into the arboreal host to draw off nutrients and water.

From Scientific American • Dec. 21, 2012