xerophile
- noun
- /ˈzɪəroʊfaɪl/
- Specialized
:
xerófilo
- The cactus is a classic example of a xerophile thriving in the desert.
Examples
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Certain bacteria are regarded as xerophiles because they can survive in extremely dry environments.
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Botanists study xerophiles to understand how plants evolve drought resistance.
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The xerophile thrives in arid conditions.
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Many xerophiles can survive with minimal water.
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The cactus is a classic example of a xerophile thriving in the desert.
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Certain bacteria are regarded as xerophiles because they can survive in extremely dry environments.
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Many xerophiles can survive with minimal water.
Synonyms
A plant that lives in very dry places, like a cactus, and stores water
A plant that can live with very little water
A plant like a cactus that lives in very dry places and uses little water
Antonyms
How Drought-Tolerant
- Specialized
1
4.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
xerophile = xero + phile
Although the word is built from the classical combining forms 'xero-' and '-phile', these are not ordinary English words, so an average B1 learner would not reliably infer the meaning.
Etymology
Xerophile comes from Greek parts xero- meaning 'dry' and -phile meaning 'lover', the same ending you see in bibliophile ('book lover'). So a xerophile is a 'dry-loving' plant or organism, which is why these species live well where there is very little water.