chionophile

C3H4I1O1N1O1P3H4I1L1E1
/kaɪˈɒnəfaɪl/

noun

Any animal or plant that thrives in winter conditions, especially one that thrives in snow.

Opposite
chionophobe
OriginAncient Greek χιών →
Scrabble 21
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Meanings

nounchionophile (plural chionophiles)

plural chionophiles

  1. Any animal or plant that thrives in winter conditions, especially one that thrives in snow.

    On the contrary, chionophiles are more frequently found with altitude, where the snow cover is thicker, the vegetation period shorter and the summers cooler.

    2005, Carmen de Jong, Climate and Hydrology of Mountain Areas, page 210

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite
chionophobe

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekχιών“snow”
  2. Englishchionophile

From Ancient Greek χιών (khiṓn, “snow”) + -phile (lover).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

chionophile. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chionophile

MLA

“chionophile.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chionophile. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chionophile,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chionophile.

Source: chionophile on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.