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polytrophic

American  
[pol-ee-trof-ik, -troh-fik] / ˌpɒl iˈtrɒf ɪk, -ˈtroʊ fɪk /

adjective

  1. (of certain bacteria) deriving nourishment from many organic substances.

polytrophic British  
/ ˌpɒlɪˈtrɒfɪk /

adjective

  1. (esp of bacteria) obtaining food from several different organic sources

"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

Etymology

Origin of polytrophic

First recorded in 1655–65; poly- + -trophic

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.