trophobiosis

9.9

A relationship where one living thing protects another and gets food from it

noun
/trəˌfōbēˈōsəs/

Specialized

: trofobiosis

That special kind of symbiosis is known as trophobiosis—ants care for another organism, called the trophobiont, in exchange for food.

Examples

But the trophobiosis between Acropyga and their mealybugs is a particularly strong relationship.

Academic text (2006)
In trophobiosis, the ants protect aphids while receiving the sweet honeydew they produce.
The phenomenon of trophobiosis allows plants to thrive, as certain insects provide them with nutrients in exchange for shelter.
Farmers often observe trophobiosis when ants guard aphids on crops, ensuring a steady supply of honeydew.

Synonyms

symbiosis

vstrophobiosis

Specialized

9 6.1

A close relationship between two different living things that helps both

is a specific case where one protects the other in return for food

Surface Forms

trophobiosis singular

trophobioses plural

Morphology

trophobiosis = biosis (opaque) = tropho + bio + sis

This is a specialized biological term built from classical combining forms, so an average B1 learner would not reliably infer its meaning from the parts.

Etymology

Trophobiosis comes from Greek parts troph- meaning 'food' and -biosis meaning 'living', the same 'bio' you see in biology. So trophobiosis literally means 'living together for food', which is why it describes a relationship where one animal or plant protects another in return for food.