saprotroph

S1A1P3R1O1T1R1O1P3H4

noun

An organism that lives off dead or decaying organic material by secreting enzymes into it and then absorbing its nutrients.

Scrabble 17
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Meanings

nounsaprotroph (plural saprotrophs)

plural saprotrophs

  1. An organism that lives off dead or decaying organic material by secreting enzymes into it and then absorbing its nutrients.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
saprobe

Origin

From sapro- + -troph.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish lahottaja, saprotrofi
  • lahottajaorganism
  • saprotrofiorganism
  • hajottajaorganism
French saprophyte
  • saprophyteorganism
Polish saprotrof
  • saprotroforganism
Cite this entry
APA

saprotroph. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/saprotroph

MLA

“saprotroph.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/saprotroph. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “saprotroph,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/saprotroph.

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