saprobe

American

[sap-rohb] / ˈsæp roʊb /

noun

Biology.

saprophyte.

saprobe British

/ ˈsæprəʊb /

noun

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

"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

Other Word Forms

saprobic adjective
saprobically adverb

Etymology

Origin of saprobe

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"The snake fungus has the ability, just like the bat fungus, to live as a saprobe, consuming dead organic matter," Miller said.

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