saprophagous

American

[sa-prof-uh-guhs] / sæˈprɒf ə gəs /

adjective

Biology.

(of an organism) feeding on dead or decaying animal matter.

saprophagous British

/ sæˈprɒfəɡəs /

adjective

(of certain animals) feeding on dead or decaying organic matter

"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 saprophagous

First recorded in 1810–20; sapro- + -phagous

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