lucifugal
- adjective
- /ˌluːsɪˈfjuːɡəl/
- Specialized
- The lucifugal habits of the mole help it thrive underground.
Examples
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Some nocturnal animals are lucifugal and hide during the day to avoid sunlight.
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The lucifugal behavior of these insects makes them difficult to study in daylight.
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Scientists observed that the fungus displayed lucifugal growth, spreading only in dark environments.
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Many lucifugal species prefer dark environments.
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Scientists observed that the fungus displayed lucifugal growth, spreading only in dark environments.
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Some nocturnal animals exhibit lucifugal behavior by hiding during the day to avoid sunlight.
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The lucifugal nature of these insects makes them challenging to observe in daylight.
Synonyms
1
8.9
Feels pain or discomfort in bright light and avoids it
1
9.9
Tending to avoid sunlight or to be harmed by it
1
9.9
Avoids light and lives in dark places
How Light-Avoiding
- Specialized
- Specialized
1
8.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
lucifugal = luci + fug + al
The elements come from Latin combining forms meaning 'light' + 'flee', but these forms are not recognizable productive English morphemes to typical learners, so the meaning is not derivable transparently.
Etymology
Lucifugal comes from Latin parts luci- and -fugal, meaning 'light' and 'to flee', and you can see luci- in lucid and -fugal in fugitive. So lucifugal means 'running away from light', which is why it describes living things that avoid sunlight.