xerophyte
[ zeer-uh-fahyt ]
/ ˈzɪər əˌfaɪt /
noun
a plant adapted for growth under dry conditions.
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OTHER WORDS FROM xerophyte
xe·ro·phyt·ic [zeer-uh-fit-ik], /ˌzɪər əˈfɪt ɪk/, adjectivexe·ro·phyt·i·cal·ly, adverbxe·ro·phyt·ism [zeer-uh-fahy-tiz-uhm, -fahy-tiz-], /ˈzɪər əˌfaɪ tɪz əm, -faɪˌtɪz-/, nounWords nearby xerophyte
xeromenia, xeromorphic, xerophagy, xerophilous, xerophthalmia, xerophyte, xeroradiograph, xeroradiography, xerosere, xerosis, xerostomia
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
British Dictionary definitions for xerophyte
xerophyte
/ (ˈzɪərəˌfaɪt) /
noun
a xerophilous plant, such as a cactus
Derived forms of xerophyte
xerophytic (ˌzɪərəˈfɪtɪk), adjectivexerophytically, adverbxerophytism, nounCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for xerophyte
xerophyte
[ zîr′ə-fīt′ ]
A plant that is adapted to an arid environment. Many xerophytes have specialized tissues (usually nonphotosynthetic parenchyma cells) for storing water, as in the stems of cacti and the leaves of succulents. Others have thin, narrow leaves, or even spines, for minimizing water loss. Xerophyte leaves often have abundant stomata to maximize gas exchange during periods in which water is available, and the stomata are recessed in depressions, which are covered with fine hairs to help trap moisture in the air. Compare hydrophyte mesophyte.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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