epiphyte Hear it!

epiphyte definition

epi·phyte (ep′ə fīt′)

noun

  1. a plant that grows on another plant but is not a parasite and produces its own food by photosynthesis, as certain orchids, mosses, and lichens; air plant
  2. a plant parasitic on the external surface of an animal body

Etymology: epi- + -phyte

Related Forms:

  • epiphytic ep′i·phyt′ic (-fit′ik) adjective

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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