xerophilous

[zi-rof-uh-luh s]

adjective

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

Zoology. living or flourishing in a dry environment.

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. 2019

Examples from the Web for xerophilous

Historical Examples of xerophilous

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

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

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