xerophilous

[ zi-rof-uh-luh s ]

/ zɪˈrɒf ə ləs /

adjective

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

Zoology. living or flourishing in a dry environment.

Nearby words

xerography, xeroma, xeromenia, xeromorphic, xerophagy, xerophilous, xerophthalmia, xerophyte, xeroradiograph, xeroradiography, xerosere

Origin of xerophilous

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

Related forms

xe·roph·i·ly, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for 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

/ (zɪˈrɒfɪləs) /

adjective

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

Derived Forms

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