decomposer

D2E1C3O1M3P3O1S1E1R1
UK/diːkəmˈpəʊzə(ɹ)/

noun

A substance or an organism, such as a bacterium or fungus, which carries out the process of decomposition of organic material.

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Meanings

noundecomposer (plural decomposers)

plural decomposers

  1. biologyA substance or an organism, such as a bacterium or fungus, which carries out the process of decomposition of organic material.

    Admitted farm dung is a slow decomposer, but we have moisture in the dung and heat in the soil to bring about decomposition […]

    1893, The Planters' Monthly, volume 12, page 202

Origin

From decompose + -er.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 分解者
  • 分解者 (fēnjiězhě)Translations
Dutch reducent
  • reducentTranslations
French décomposeur
  • décomposeurTranslations
German Zersetzer, Destruent
  • ZersetzerTranslations
  • DestruentTranslations
  • ReduzentTranslations
Italian decompositore
  • decompositoreTranslations
Korean 분해자
  • 분해자 (bunhaeja)Translations
Swedish nedbrytare
  • nedbrytareTranslations
Thai ผู้ย่อยสลาย
  • ผู้ย่อยสลาย (pûu-yɔ̂i-sà-lǎai)Translations

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

dermoscope
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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