plant-animal

The story

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromζωόφυτον“zoophyte”
2. New Latin · derived fromplantanimal
3. French · borrowed fromplant-animal
4. English todayplant-animal

From plant + animal, after French plant-animal (obsolete), from New Latin plantanimal (16th c.), after Hellenistic Ancient Greek ζωόφυτον (zōóphuton, “zoophyte”).

First known use, by meaning

• from 17th c. An organism having characteristics of both plants and animals; a zoophyte, later chiefly an animal with structural resemblances to a plant.