Meanings
plural chemoautotrophs
- biologya simple microorganism, such as a prokaryote (bacteria and Archaea), that derives its energy from chemical processes rather than photosynthesis
Synonyms: chemolithotroph
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna simple microorganism, such as a prokaryote (bacteria and Archaea), that derives its energy from chemical processes rather than photosynthesis
More synonyms by meaning
nounAn organism that depends on chemicals for its energy and principally on carbon dioxide for its carbon.
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekτροφή“nourishment”
- Ancient Greekαὐτο-“self-”
- Englishchemoautotroph
From chemo- + autotroph, the latter from auto- (from Ancient Greek αὐτο- (auto-, “self-”)) + -troph (from Ancient Greek τροφή (trophḗ, “nourishment”)).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
chemoautotroph. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chemoautotroph
“chemoautotroph.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chemoautotroph. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chemoautotroph,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chemoautotroph.
Source: chemoautotroph on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.