thermophilic
Americanadjective
-
growing best in a warm environment.
-
(of bacteria) growing best at temperatures between 50° and 60°C.
Etymology
Origin of thermophilic
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.
In a new study, researchers led by Professor Hakuto Kageyama of Meijo University and Professor Rungaroon Waditee-Sirisattha of Chulalongkorn University identified a novel MAA produced by thermophilic cyanobacteria living in hot springs in Thailand.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 13, 2026
This unique MAA appears to play an important role in helping Gloeocapsa species tolerate environmental stress and likely serves several functions within these thermophilic cyanobacteria.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 13, 2026
Oxygen is pumped in to increase thermophilic, or heat-loving, microbial activity.
From The New Yorker ● Aug. 26, 2019
The temperatures are very high in the hydrothermal vent, so the prokaryotes would be thermophilic.
From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015
Using thermophilic variants of cyanobacteria, which grow well between 35 °C and 50 °C, could be one solution to this expensive temperature control.
From Nature ● Aug. 15, 2012
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
