phototroph

[foh-tuh-trof, -trohf]

noun Biology.

any organism that uses light as its principal source of energy.

Origin of phototroph

First recorded in 1940–45; photo- + -troph

Related formspho·to·troph·ic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for phototroph

phototroph

noun

an organism that obtains energy from sunlight for the synthesis of organic compounds

Derived Formsphototrophic (ˌfəʊtəʊˈtrɒfɪk), 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

phototroph in Science

phototroph

[fō′tə-trŏf′]

An organism that manufactures its own food from inorganic substances using light for energy. Green plants, certain algae, and photosynthetic bacteria are phototrophs. Also called photoautotroph