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xerophilous

[zi-rof-uh-luh s]
adjective
  1. Botany. growing in or adapted to dry, especially dry and hot, regions.
  2. Zoology. living or flourishing in a dry environment.
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Origin of xerophilous

First recorded in 1860–65; xero- + -philous
Related formsxe·roph·i·ly, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for xerophilous

Historical Examples

  • There is no cultivation on the plain, which is to a large extent covered with long sarpat grass and other xerophilous plants.

    Jungle Folk

    Douglas Dewar

British Dictionary definitions for xerophilous

xerophilous

adjective
  1. (of plants or animals) adapted for growing or living in dry surroundings
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Derived Formsxerophile (ˈzɪərəʊˌfaɪl), nounxerophily, noun
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