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The Learning Kingdom's Cool Word of the Day for August 2, 1999
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xylophagous [adj. zy-LOF-uh-gus]
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If a life form is xylophagous, then it either eats wood, or it is
destructive to wood. Example: "A primary ocean pest is the
xylophagous teredo or shipworm, a mollusc that bores into floating
driftwood and the hulls of unprotected ships."
The first part of the word is the prefix xylo-, from the Greek xulon
(wood). It also shows up in these words:
xylograph: a drawing engraved on wood
xylotomy: preparation of wood slices for microscopic observation
xylene: a chemical mixture distilled from wood
xylem: water-conducting tissue of plants; woody tissue
The second part, -phagous, is an adjective suffix from the Greek
phagein (to eat), and also gives the prefix phago-. Here are more
"eating" words:
bacteriophage: a virus that "eats" bacteria
phagocyte: a cell that engulfs other cells
phytophagous: feeding on plants
Today's Cool Fact is about a xylophagous creature:
http://www.cool-fact.com/archive/1999/08/02.html
Another Cool Word is xylophone:
http://www.cool-word.com/archive/1999/03/29.html
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