saprophyte

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈsæprəʊˌfaɪt/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(sap′rə fīt′)


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
sap•ro•phyte  (sap′rə fīt′),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. Zoology, Ecologyany organism that lives on dead organic matter, as certain fungi and bacteria.
Also called saprobe. 
  • 1870–75; sapro- + -phyte
sap•ro•phyt•ic  (sap′rə fit′ik),USA pronunciation adj.  sap′ro•phyt′i•cal•ly, adv. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
saprophyte /ˈsæprəʊˌfaɪt/ n
  1. any plant that lives and feeds on dead organic matter using mycorrhizal fungi associated with its roots; a saprotrophic plant
saprophytic /ˌsæprəʊˈfɪtɪk/ adj
'saprophyte' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
saprobe - heterophyte

Forum discussions with the word(s) "saprophyte" in the title:


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