photoautotroph

P3H4O1T1O1A1U1T1O1T1R1O1P3H4

noun

an organism, such as all green plants, that can synthesize its own food from inorganic material using light as a source of energy

OriginAncient Greek φῶς →
Scrabble 24
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Meanings

nounphotoautotroph (plural photoautotrophs)

plural photoautotrophs

  1. biochemistryan organism, such as all green plants, that can synthesize its own food from inorganic material using light as a source of energy

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekτροφή“nourishment”
  2. Ancient Greekαὐτο-“self-”
  3. Ancient Greekφῶς“light”
  4. Englishphotoautotroph

From photo- (from the combining form φωτω- (phōtō-) of Ancient Greek φῶς (phôs, “light”)) + autotroph, from auto- (from Ancient Greek αὐτο- (auto-, “self-”)) + -troph (from Ancient Greek τροφή (trophḗ, “nourishment”)).

More words from Ancient Greek

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Cite this entry
APA

photoautotroph. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/photoautotroph

MLA

“photoautotroph.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/photoautotroph. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “photoautotroph,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/photoautotroph.

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