Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
acidophile

acidophile

9.9
A living thing that grows best in very acidic places like hot springs
  • noun
  • /ˈæsɪdəˌfaɪl/
  • Specialized
: acidófilo
  • Acidophiles grow in habitats with a pH below 5.0, and alkaliphiles grow in habitats with a pH above 9.0.

Examples

  • Other extremophiles now under research include those that prefer highly acidic or alkaline conditions—the acidophiles and alkaliphiles, respectively.

    Academic text (2000)

  • Acidophiles live in acidic environments such as hydrothermal vents and hot springs, thriving on the sulfurous gases there.

    Academic text (2000)

  • An acidophile can thrive in environments like sulfuric hot springs where the pH is very low.

  • Many acidophiles are found in acid mine drainage, where they play a role in breaking down minerals.

  • The study of acidophiles helps scientists understand how life can exist in extreme conditions.

Synonyms

acidophil
vsacidophile
  • Specialized
9.9

A living thing that grows well in acidic places like soil or hot springs

is the same meaning but a different written form

Surface Forms

acidophile singular
acidophiles plural

Morphology

acidophile = acid (semi-transparent) = acid + phile

The meaning is compositional as 'acid' + '-phile' ('loving'), but the scientific suffix is specialized and may not be fully familiar to average learners.

Etymology

Acidophile comes from acid, which means 'acid', and -phile, which means 'lover', the same -phile you see in bibliophile, which means 'book lover'. So an acidophile is an 'acid lover' and is a living thing that grows best in acidic places.