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saprophyte

[ sap-ruh-fahyt ]
/ ˈsæp rəˌfaɪt /

noun

any organism that lives on dead organic matter, as certain fungi and bacteria.

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Also called saprobe.

Origin of saprophyte

First recorded in 1870–75; sapro- + -phyte

OTHER WORDS FROM saprophyte

sap·ro·phyt·ic [sap-ruh-fit-ik], /ˌsæp rəˈfɪt ɪk/, adjectivesap·ro·phyt·i·cal·ly, adverb

Words nearby saprophyte

saprogen, saprogenic, saprolite, sapropel, saprophagous, saprophyte, saprotroph, saprozoic, saprozoonosis, SAPS, sapsago
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for saprophyte

saprophyte
/ (ˈsæprəʊˌfaɪt) /

noun

any plant that lives and feeds on dead organic matter using mycorrhizal fungi associated with its roots; a saprotrophic plant

Derived forms of saprophyte

saprophytic (ˌsæprəʊˈfɪtɪk), adjectivesaprophytically, adverb
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

Medical definitions for saprophyte

saprophyte
[ săp′rə-fīt′ ]

n.

An organism, especially a fungus or bacterium, that grows on and derives its nourishment from dead or decaying organic matter.

Other words from saprophyte

sap′ro•phyt′ic (-fĭt′ĭk) adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for saprophyte

saprophyte
[ săp′rə-fīt′ ]

An organism, especially a fungus or bacterium, that lives on and gets its nourishment from dead organisms or decaying organic material. Saprophytes recycle organic material in the soil, breaking it down into in simpler compounds that can be taken up by other organisms.

Other words from saprophyte

saprophytic adjective (săp′rə-fĭt′ĭk)
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.