Meanings
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAny organism that lives on dead organic matter, as certain fungi and bacteria.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
nounan organism that feeds on dead organic matter especially a fungus or bacterium
Similar
saprophytic organism
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From sapro- (“putrid matter”) + -phyte (“plant, growth”).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Dutch saprofyt
- saprofytorganism that lives on dead organic matter
Finnish marraskasvi, saprofyytti
- marraskasviorganism that lives on dead organic matter
- saprofyyttiorganism that lives on dead organic matter
German Saprophyt
- Saprophytorganism that lives on dead organic matter
Hungarian szaprofita
- szaprofitaorganism that lives on dead organic matter
Irish sapraifít
- sapraifítorganism that lives on dead organic matter
Italian saprofita
- saprofitaorganism that lives on dead organic matter
Māori karekawa, karikawa
- karekawaorganism that lives on dead organic matter
- karikawaorganism that lives on dead organic matter
Polish saprofit, saprotrof
- saprofitorganism that lives on dead organic matter
- saprotroforganism that lives on dead organic matter
Portuguese saprófito
- saprófitoorganism that lives on dead organic matter
Spanish saprofito, saprofita
- saprofitoorganism that lives on dead organic matter
- saprofitaorganism that lives on dead organic matter
Swedish saprofyt
- saprofytorganism that lives on dead organic matter
Turkish saprofit, çürükçül
- saprofitorganism that lives on dead organic matter
- çürükçülorganism that lives on dead organic matter
Cite this entry
APA
saprophyte. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/saprophyte
MLA
“saprophyte.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/saprophyte. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “saprophyte,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/saprophyte.
Source: saprophyte on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.