aerophilic

9.5

Needing air to live or grow

adjective
/ˌɛəroʊˈfɪlɪk/

Specialized

: aerofílico

The bacteria are aerophilic and thrive only when exposed to air.

Examples

The aerophilic bacteria thrive in oxygen-rich environments.
Some fermentation processes are strictly aerophilic, needing constant oxygen flow.
Modern composting methods use aerophilic microorganisms to speed up decomposition.
Are there any aerophilic organisms in this sample?
Modern composting methods use aerophilic microorganisms to speed up decomposition.
The bacteria are aerophilic and thrive only when exposed to air.
Some fermentation processes are strictly aerophilic, needing constant oxygen flow.

Synonyms

aerobic

vsaerophilic

Specialized

4 4.8

Needing oxygen to live or stay active

emphasizes requirement for free air rather than general oxygen presence

air-breathing

vsaerophilic

Specialized

1 4.4

An animal or machine that takes oxygen from the air, not from water

focuses on needing free air or oxygen, not only external air intake

aerophilous

vsaerophilic

Specialized

9.9

Needing air or oxygen to live

is identical in meaning but differs only in spelling or form

aerobiotic

vsaerophilic

Specialized

8.4

Needing oxygen to live

specifies need for free oxygen or air rather than any oxygen source

Antonyms

anaerobic

Specialized

7 6.5

Not needing oxygen to live or grow

How Aerobic

aerophilic

Specialized

9.5

microaerophilic

Specialized

9.9

anaerobic

Specialized

7 6.5

Surface Forms

aerophilic positive

Morphology

aerophilic = aerophile (semi-transparent) = aero + phil + ic

The adjective is built by adding -ic to aerophile, but the resulting biological sense is somewhat specialized rather than fully everyday.

Etymology

The word aerophilic comes from the parts aero- 'air' and -philic 'loving', the same aero- you see in aeroplane or aerobic. So, aerophilic literally means 'air-loving', which is why aerophilic organisms need free air or oxygen to live.