endophyte

E1N1D2O1P3H4Y4T1E1

noun

Any organism (generally a bacterium, fungus or alga) that lives inside a plant.

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entophyte
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Meanings

nounendophyte (plural endophytes)

plural endophytes

  1. Any organism (generally a bacterium, fungus or alga) that lives inside a plant.

    Take a grass from salty coastal soils, grow it without its fungal endophytes, and it won't be able to survive in its natural salty habitat.

    2020, Merlin Sheldrake, Entangled Life, page 157

    Synonyms: entophyte

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAny organism (generally a bacterium, fungus or alga) that lives inside a plant.

Similar
entophyte
Also see
entophyte

Origin

From endo- (“inside”) + -phyte (“plant, growth”). The -phyte suffix refers to the microorganism, not the plant within which it grows.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Dutch endofyt
  • endofytTranslations
French endophyte
  • endophyteTranslations
Russian эндофи́т
  • эндофи́т (endofít)Translations
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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