thermoacidophile

American

[thur-moh-uh-sid-uh-fahyl, -as-i-duh-] / ˌθɜr moʊ əˈsɪd əˌfaɪl, -ˈæs ɪ də- /

noun

any organism that thrives in strongly acidic environments at high temperatures, the greatest number of which are members of the archaea.

Etymology

Origin of thermoacidophile

First recorded in 1975–80; thermo- + acidophile ( def. )

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.

One extreme halophile and the thermoacidophile Sulfolobus were known to be exceptions to this generalization; they were considered to have an idiosyncratic wall structure.

From Scientific American • Jan. 1, 2013

The third known type of archaebacterium is the thermoacidophile, and the members of this group too are nota ble for their habitat.

From Scientific American • Jan. 1, 2013

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