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xerophilous

[ zi-rof-uh-luhs ]
/ zɪˈrɒf ə ləs /

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

xerography, xeroma, xeromenia, xeromorphic, xerophagy, xerophilous, xerophthalmia, xerophyte, xeroradiograph, xeroradiography, xerosere
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences 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 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