photosynthesize

American  

[foh-tuh-sin-thuh-sahyz] / ˌfoʊ təˈsɪn θəˌsaɪz /

verb (used without object)

photosynthesized, photosynthesizing

1. to produce carbohydrates by photosynthesis.

   Plants with light green leaves don't photosynthesize as well as those with darker leaves.

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verb (used with object)

photosynthesized, photosynthesizing

1. to produce by photosynthesis.

   Plants photosynthesize sugars from carbon dioxide and water.

photosynthesize British  

/ ˌfəʊtəʊˈsɪnθɪˌsaɪz /

verb

1. (of plants and some bacteria) to carry out photosynthesis

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Etymology

Origin of photosynthesize

First recorded in 1905–10; photo- ( def. ) + synthesize ( def. )

Example Sentences

Some of these animals can photosynthesize like plants; some harvest algae and seawater to make calcium carbonate for their underwater castles; some produce their own light or glow in the dark.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

In a few months, a single leaf emerges, allowing the plant to photosynthesize and rebuild the energy needed for its next bloom, two to three years later.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 21, 2025

"So phytoplankton use carbon to photosynthesize while things like mussels also use carbon to build their shells."

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2025

C4 plants recruit bundle sheath cells, which normally serve as leaf vein support, to photosynthesize alongside mesophyll cells.

From Science Daily • Nov. 20, 2024

Its leaves harvest sunlight to photosynthesize, so trees compete by shadowing their neighbors.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan