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saprophyte
[ sap-ruh-fahyt ]
/ ˈsæp rəˌfaɪt /
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noun
any organism that lives on dead organic matter, as certain fungi and bacteria.
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Also called saprobe.
OTHER WORDS FROM saprophyte
sap·ro·phyt·ic [sap-ruh-fit-ik], /ˌsæp rəˈfɪt ɪk/, adjectivesap·ro·phyt·i·cal·ly, adverbWords 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. 2021
How to use saprophyte in a sentence
It is a parasite or saprophyte, and entirely destitute of chlorophyll, being pure white throughout.
Elements of Structural and Systematic Botany|Douglas Houghton Campbell
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, adverbCollins 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.