"saprophyte" meaning in English

See saprophyte in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˈsæpɹəʊfaɪt/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Neøn-saprophyte.wav [US] Forms: saprophytes [plural]
Etymology: From sapro- (“putrid matter”) + -phyte (“plant, growth”). Etymology templates: {{confix|en|sapro|phyte|gloss1=putrid matter|gloss2=plant, growth}} sapro- (“putrid matter”) + -phyte (“plant, growth”) Head templates: {{en-noun}} saprophyte (plural saprophytes)
  1. Any organism that lives on dead organic matter, as certain fungi and bacteria. Synonyms: saprobe Derived forms: holosaprophyte, saprophytic, saprophytism, saprophytophagous, semisaprophyte Related terms: autophyte, holophyte Translations (organism that lives on dead organic matter): saprofyt [masculine] (Dutch), marraskasvi (Finnish), saprofyytti (Finnish), Saprophyt [masculine] (German), szaprofita (Hungarian), sapraifít [feminine] (Irish), saprofita [masculine] (Italian), karekawa (Māori), karikawa (Māori), saprofit [masculine] (Polish), saprotrof [masculine] (Polish), saprófito [masculine] (Portuguese), saprofito [masculine] (Spanish), saprofita [feminine] (Spanish), saprofyt [common-gender] (Swedish), saprofit (Turkish), çürükçül (Turkish)

Inflected forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sapro",
        "3": "phyte",
        "gloss1": "putrid matter",
        "gloss2": "plant, growth"
      },
      "expansion": "sapro- (“putrid matter”) + -phyte (“plant, growth”)",
      "name": "confix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From sapro- (“putrid matter”) + -phyte (“plant, growth”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "saprophytes",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "saprophyte (plural saprophytes)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
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          "name": "English terms prefixed with sapro-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -phyte",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
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        },
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        {
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        },
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          "kind": "other",
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          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hungarian translations",
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          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Irish translations",
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          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
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          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Māori translations",
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          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
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          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Swedish translations",
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          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Turkish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "derived": [
        {
          "word": "holosaprophyte"
        },
        {
          "word": "saprophytic"
        },
        {
          "word": "saprophytism"
        },
        {
          "word": "saprophytophagous"
        },
        {
          "word": "semisaprophyte"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any organism that lives on dead organic matter, as certain fungi and bacteria."
      ],
      "id": "en-saprophyte-en-noun-ZL8bw8F9",
      "links": [
        [
          "organism",
          "organism"
        ],
        [
          "dead",
          "dead"
        ],
        [
          "organic",
          "organic"
        ],
        [
          "fungi",
          "fungi"
        ],
        [
          "bacteria",
          "bacteria"
        ]
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "autophyte"
        },
        {
          "word": "holophyte"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "saprobe"
        }
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "lang_code": "nl",
          "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "saprofyt"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "lang_code": "fi",
          "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
          "word": "marraskasvi"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "lang_code": "fi",
          "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
          "word": "saprofyytti"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "lang_code": "de",
          "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Saprophyt"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "lang_code": "hu",
          "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
          "word": "szaprofita"
        },
        {
          "code": "ga",
          "lang": "Irish",
          "lang_code": "ga",
          "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "sapraifít"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "lang_code": "it",
          "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "saprofita"
        },
        {
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Māori",
          "lang_code": "mi",
          "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
          "word": "karekawa"
        },
        {
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Māori",
          "lang_code": "mi",
          "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
          "word": "karikawa"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "lang_code": "pl",
          "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "saprofit"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "lang_code": "pl",
          "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "saprotrof"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "lang_code": "pt",
          "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "saprófito"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "lang_code": "es",
          "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "saprofito"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "lang_code": "es",
          "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "saprofita"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "lang_code": "sv",
          "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
          "tags": [
            "common-gender"
          ],
          "word": "saprofyt"
        },
        {
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "lang_code": "tr",
          "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
          "word": "saprofit"
        },
        {
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "lang_code": "tr",
          "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
          "word": "çürükçül"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈsæpɹəʊfaɪt/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Neøn-saprophyte.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/76/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Ne%C3%B8n-saprophyte.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Ne%C3%B8n-saprophyte.wav.mp3",
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      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "saprophyte"
}
{
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "holosaprophyte"
    },
    {
      "word": "saprophytic"
    },
    {
      "word": "saprophytism"
    },
    {
      "word": "saprophytophagous"
    },
    {
      "word": "semisaprophyte"
    }
  ],
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    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sapro",
        "3": "phyte",
        "gloss1": "putrid matter",
        "gloss2": "plant, growth"
      },
      "expansion": "sapro- (“putrid matter”) + -phyte (“plant, growth”)",
      "name": "confix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From sapro- (“putrid matter”) + -phyte (“plant, growth”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "saprophytes",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "saprophyte (plural saprophytes)",
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  ],
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "autophyte"
    },
    {
      "word": "holophyte"
    }
  ],
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      "categories": [
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        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English lemmas",
        "English nouns",
        "English terms prefixed with sapro-",
        "English terms suffixed with -phyte",
        "Entries with translation boxes",
        "Pages with 2 entries",
        "Pages with entries",
        "Terms with Dutch translations",
        "Terms with Finnish translations",
        "Terms with German translations",
        "Terms with Hungarian translations",
        "Terms with Irish translations",
        "Terms with Italian translations",
        "Terms with Māori translations",
        "Terms with Polish translations",
        "Terms with Portuguese translations",
        "Terms with Spanish translations",
        "Terms with Swedish translations",
        "Terms with Turkish translations"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any organism that lives on dead organic matter, as certain fungi and bacteria."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "organism",
          "organism"
        ],
        [
          "dead",
          "dead"
        ],
        [
          "organic",
          "organic"
        ],
        [
          "fungi",
          "fungi"
        ],
        [
          "bacteria",
          "bacteria"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "saprobe"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
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      "ipa": "/ˈsæpɹəʊfaɪt/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Neøn-saprophyte.wav",
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      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "lang_code": "nl",
      "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "saprofyt"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "lang_code": "fi",
      "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
      "word": "marraskasvi"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "lang_code": "fi",
      "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
      "word": "saprofyytti"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "lang_code": "de",
      "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Saprophyt"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "lang_code": "hu",
      "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
      "word": "szaprofita"
    },
    {
      "code": "ga",
      "lang": "Irish",
      "lang_code": "ga",
      "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "sapraifít"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "lang_code": "it",
      "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "saprofita"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Māori",
      "lang_code": "mi",
      "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
      "word": "karekawa"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Māori",
      "lang_code": "mi",
      "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
      "word": "karikawa"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "lang_code": "pl",
      "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "saprofit"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "lang_code": "pl",
      "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "saprotrof"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "lang_code": "pt",
      "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "saprófito"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "lang_code": "es",
      "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "saprofito"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "lang_code": "es",
      "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "saprofita"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "lang_code": "sv",
      "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "saprofyt"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "lang_code": "tr",
      "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
      "word": "saprofit"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "lang_code": "tr",
      "sense": "organism that lives on dead organic matter",
      "word": "çürükçül"
    }
  ],
  "word": "saprophyte"
}

Download raw JSONL data for saprophyte meaning in English (4.5kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-08-28 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-08-05 using wiktextract (872fc7b and 4deed51). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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