phototroph

[ foh-tuh-trof, -trohf ]

/ ˈfoʊ təˌtrɒf, -ˌtroʊf /

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noun Biology.

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

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Origin of phototroph

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

OTHER WORDS FROM phototroph

pho·to·troph·ic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

British Dictionary definitions for phototroph

phototroph

/ (ˈfəʊtəʊˌtrɒf) /

noun

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

Derived forms of phototroph

phototrophic (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

Scientific definitions for phototroph

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