phototaxis

or pho·to·tax·y

[ foh-tuh-tak-sis ]

nounBiology.
  1. movement of an organism toward or away from a source of light.

Origin of phototaxis

1
First recorded in 1900–05; photo- + -taxis

Other words from phototaxis

  • pho·to·tac·tic [foh-tuh-tak-tik], /ˌfoʊ təˈtæk tɪk/, adjective
  • pho·to·tac·ti·cal·ly, adverb

Words Nearby phototaxis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use phototaxis in a sentence

  • If it acts in a one-sided way, it causes the particular form of stimulation which we call phototaxis or heliotropism.

    The Wonders of Life | Ernst Haeckel

British Dictionary definitions for phototaxis

phototaxis

phototaxy

/ (ˌfəʊtəʊˈtæksɪs) /


noun
  1. the movement of an entire organism in response to light

Derived forms of phototaxis

  • phototactic (ˌfəʊtəʊˈtæktɪk), adjective

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