saprobe

[sap-rohb]

noun Biology.

saprophyte.

Origin of saprobe

First recorded in 1932; sapro- + (micro)be

Related formssa·pro·bic

[suh-proh-bik, -prob-ik] /səˈproʊ bɪk, -ˈprɒb ɪk/, adjectivesa·pro·bi·cal·ly, adverb

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British Dictionary definitions for saprobe

saprobe

noun

an organism, esp a fungus, that lives on decaying organisms; a saprotrophSee also saprophyte

Derived Formssaprobic, adjective

Word Origin for saprobe

C20: from Greek, from sapro- + bios life

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

saprobe in Medicine

saprobe

[săp′rōb′]

n.

An organism that derives its nourishment from nonliving or decaying organic matter.

Related formssap•ro′bi•al (să-prō′bē-əl) null adj.