Word of the Day

adjective

The students studied the behaviors of the anthophilous insects found in the field.

"While about 30 families of beetles contain at least a few examples of flower visitors, the main anthophilous groups today — those that are of real importance as flower pollinators — are soldier beetles (Cantharidae) and longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae)." — From Pat Willmer’s Pollination and Floral Ecology, 2011

Parrots love eucalyptus flowers. That's because anthophilous birds are naturally attracted to "ornithophilous" flowers—which is to say, flowers that are pollinated by birds. The "-philous" in both of those terms is the combining form that means "loving" (from Greek "-philos"). "Anthophilous" uses the Greek word "anthos," meaning "flower," while "ornithophilous" traces back to Greek "ornis," meaning "bird." "Ornithophilous" is one of a whole swarm of specialized words that identify flowers in terms of the flower-loving creatures that pollinate them. "Entomophilous" flowers, for example, are pollinated by anthophilous insects, such as bees. There's even a word specifically for plants that are pollinated by bees: "melittophilous" (from the Greek word "melitta," meaning "bee").

Word Family Quiz: What relative of "anthophilous" means "of, relating to, or having a strong affinity for water"? The answer is ...

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