xerophilous

[ zi-rof-uh-luhs ]

/ zɪˈrɒf ə ləs /

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adjective

Botany. growing in or adapted to dry, especially dry and hot, regions.

Zoology. living or flourishing in a dry environment.

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Origin of xerophilous

First recorded in 1860–65; xero- + -philous

OTHER WORDS FROM xerophilous

xe·roph·i·ly, noun

Words nearby xerophilous

xeroderma, xeroderma pigmentosum, xerography, xeromorphic, xerophagy, xerophilous, xerophthalmia, xerophyte, xeroradiograph, xerosere, xerosis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use xerophilous in a sentence

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

/ (zɪˈrɒfɪləs) /

adjective

(of plants or animals) adapted for growing or living in dry surroundings

Derived forms of xerophilous

xerophile (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