zoophyte

zoophyte

See also: zoöphyte

English

Alternative forms

• zoöphyte, zoophite, zoöphite

Etymology

From zoo- +‎ -phyte, after Middle French zoophyte; later reinforced by scientific Latin Zoophyta.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈzəʊəfaɪt/, /ˈzuːfaɪt/

Noun

zoophyte (plural zoophytes)

1. (biology, historical) An animal thought to have the characteristics of a plant, later specifically an invertebrate of the (former) group Zoophyta, comprising sponges, corals and sea anemones. [from 17th c.]
2. (biology, historical) A plant believed to have the characteristics of an animal, especially a sensitive plant or vegetable lamb. [from 17th c.]
   • 1665, Robert Hooke, Micrographia, XIX:

     And besides, as there are many Zoophyts, and sensitive Plants […] so have we, in some Authors, Instances of Plants turning into Animals, and Animals into Plants, and the like […]

Derived terms

• zoophytal
• zoophytic
• zoophytical
• zoophytish
• zoophytist
• zoophytography
• zoophytoid
• zoophytological
• zoophytologist
• zoophytology

 

Translations

invertebrate animal which resembles plants

Bulgarian: зоофи́т m (zoofít) Finnish: zoofyytti Greek: ζωόφυτο (el) n (zoófyto) Ido: zoofito (io) Irish: zóifít f, míol-luibh m Italian: zoofito m Malay: zoofit Polish: zwierzokrzew m Russian: зоофи́т (ru) m (zoofít) Spanish: zoófito (es)

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French

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

zoophyte m (plural zoophytes)

1. zoophyte

Further reading

• “zoophyte”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.