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Glite Dictionary
pneumatophore

pneumatophore

1 9.9
A root that sticks above muddy ground to get air for the plant
  • noun
  • /njuˈmætəˌfɔr/
  • Specialized
: neumatóforo
  • In wetland areas, pneumatophores help certain plants obtain oxygen from the air.

Examples

  • The pneumatophores of the cypress tree rise above the water, allowing it to survive in flooded conditions.

  • Adaptations to high and fluctuating water levels, such as pneumatophores, stilt roots, and buttresses, are required for the relatively nutrient-rich freshwater swamp forests.

    Academic text (2011)

  • The mangrove tree uses pneumatophores to breathe while standing in water during high tides.

Surface Forms

pneumatophore singular
pneumatophores plural

Morphology

pneumatophore = pneumatic (opaque) = pneumato + phore

Using the recognisable adjective 'pneumatic' as the nearest base, the addition of the technical combining element '-phore' yields the specialised noun, but both elements are technical and unfamiliar to most B1 learners.

Etymology

Pneumatophore comes from the Greek root pneuma meaning 'breath' and the ending -phore meaning 'bearer'. So a pneumatophore is a 'breath-bearer', an air-filled root that carries air to help a plant breathe, and you can remember pneuma from pneumonia, which is a lung illness about breathing.