trophallaxis

American

[trof-uh-lak-sis, troh-fuh-] / ˌtrɒf əˈlæk sɪs, ˌtroʊ fə- /

noun

plural

trophallaxes

(among social insects) the exchange of nutriments or other secretions between members of a colony.

trophallaxis British

/ ˌtrɒfəˈlæksɪs /

noun

the exchange of regurgitated food that occurs between adults and larvae in colonies of social insects

"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

Other Word Forms

trophallactic adjective

Etymology

Origin of trophallaxis

1915–20; troph- + Greek állaxis exchange, equivalent to allak- (verbid stem of allássein to change; see allo-) + -sis -sis

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.

Worker termites feed other castes digested food in a process called trophallaxis.

From Science Magazine • Sep. 6, 2023

Social insects—like ants, bees, and wasps—have long been known to pass food to one another through mouth-to-mouth exchange, a behavior known as trophallaxis.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 29, 2016

Other research has suggested that ants also use trophallaxis to spread the colony’s odor, helping them identify their own nest mates.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 29, 2016

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