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Glite Dictionary
zoophyte

zoophyte

9.9
A sea animal without bones that looks like a plant
  • noun
  • /ˈzuːəˌfaɪt/
  • Archaic
translation icon : zoófito
  • Many corals are classified as zoophytes due to their plant-like appearance.

Examples

  • Early naturalists debated whether the zoophyte was truly an animal or a plant.

  • The delicate branching structure of the zoophyte fascinated the marine biologists.

  • The zoophyte is often mistaken for a plant.

  • Corals are a type of zoophyte found in oceans.

  • Many corals are classified as zoophytes due to their plant-like appearance.

  • The delicate branching structure of the zoophyte fascinated the marine biologists.

  • The zoophyte is often mistaken for a plant.

Surface Forms

zoophyte singular
zoophytes plural

Morphology

zoophyte = zoo (opaque) = zoo + phyte

The term 'zoophyte' combines 'zoo' (animal) and 'phyte' (plant), but the meaning is not directly derivable from these components without specialized knowledge.

Etymology

Zoophyte comes from Greek parts zoo-, as in the familiar word 'zoo', meaning 'animal', and -phyte meaning 'plant', so it literally means 'animal-plant'. That's why zoophyte is used for animals like corals and sea anemones that look like plants.