xylophagous

American

[zahy-lof-uh-guhs] / zaɪˈlɒf ə gəs /

adjective

feeding on wood, as certain insects or insect larvae.
perforating or destroying timber, as certain mollusks, crustaceans, and fungi.

xylophagous British

/ zaɪˈlɒfəɡəs /

adjective

(of certain insects, crustaceans, etc) feeding on or living within wood

"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

Etymology

Origin of xylophagous

From the Greek word xylophágos, dating back to 1835–45. See xylo-, -phagous

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023