rhizosphere

R1H4I1Z10O1S1P3H4E1R1E1

noun

The soil region subject to the influence of plant roots and their associated microorganisms.

OriginEnglish sphere ← Middle English spere ← Old French sphere →
UncommonScrabble 28
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Meanings

nounrhizosphere (plural rhizospheres)

plural rhizospheres

  1. soil scienceThe soil region subject to the influence of plant roots and their associated microorganisms.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*wréh₂ds
  2. Ancient Greekῥῐ́ζᾰ (rhĭ́ză)
  3. Englishrhizo-
  4. Ancient Greekσφαῖρᾰ (sphaîră)
  5. Latinsphaera
  6. Late Latinsphēra
  7. Old Frenchsphere
  8. Middle Englishspere
  9. Englishsphere
  10. Englishrhizosphere

From rhizo- + -sphere.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan rizosfera
  • rizosferasoil region influenced by plant roots
Chinese Mandarin 根際 /根际
  • 根際 /根际 (gēnjì)soil region influenced by plant roots
Czech rhizosféra
  • rhizosférasoil region influenced by plant roots
Danish rhizosfære
  • rhizosfæresoil region influenced by plant roots
Dutch rizosfeer
  • rizosfeersoil region influenced by plant roots
French rhizosphère
  • rhizosphèresoil region influenced by plant roots
German Rhizosphäre
  • Rhizosphäresoil region influenced by plant roots
Indonesian rizosfer
  • rizosfersoil region influenced by plant roots
Italian rizosfera
  • rizosferasoil region influenced by plant roots
Japanese 根圏
  • 根圏 (konken)soil region influenced by plant roots
Korean 근권
  • 근권 (geun'gwon)soil region influenced by plant roots
Polish ryzosfera
  • ryzosferasoil region influenced by plant roots
Portuguese rizosfera
  • rizosferasoil region influenced by plant roots
Russian ризосфе́ра
  • ризосфе́ра (rizosféra)soil region influenced by plant roots
Spanish rizosfera
  • rizosferasoil region influenced by plant roots
Ukrainian ризосфе́ра
  • ризосфе́ра (ryzosféra)soil region influenced by plant roots
Cite this entry
APA

rhizosphere. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rhizosphere

MLA

“rhizosphere.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rhizosphere. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rhizosphere,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rhizosphere.

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