phytophagic
- adjective
- /faɪtəˈfædʒɪk/
- Specialized
:
fitófago
- Researchers observed a phytophagic beetle population thriving in the new greenhouse environment.
Examples
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The phytophagic tortoise grazes on various types of grass.
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The caterpillar is considered phytophagic because its diet consists solely of plant material.
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Many insect species are phytophagic, consuming leaves, stems, or roots as their primary food source.
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Many phytophagic insects play a crucial role in ecosystems.
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Cows are phytophagic animals that primarily consume grass and other vegetation.
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Many insects, including caterpillars, are phytophagic and rely on plants for their diet.
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Rabbits are considered phytophagic because they eat a variety of leafy greens and herbs.
Synonyms
1
3.5
Eating mainly plants
1
6.7
An animal that eats only plants
An animal that eats plants like leaves and stems
An animal that eats plants or lives on them
Antonyms
How Plant-Eating
Surface Forms
Morphology
phytophagic = phytophage (opaque) = phyto + phag + ic
The word is a technical Greek-derived biological term built from combining forms ('phyto-' and 'phag-') that are not familiar to average learners, so the meaning is not easily derivable.
Etymology
Phytophagic comes from old Greek parts phyto- 'plant' and -phagic 'eating', so it literally means 'plant-eating' and is used for animals that eat plants, in other words 'herbivores'.