polyphagy en · NOUN
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁-der. Proto-Indo-European *polh₁ús Ancient Greek πολῠ́ς (polŭ́s)lbor. English poly- Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂g- Proto-Indo-European *bʰh₂g-der. Ancient Greek ἔφᾰγον (éphăgon) Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂ Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā) Ancient Greek -φᾰγίᾱ (-phăgíā)lbor. English -phagy English polyphagy From poly- (“many”) + -phagy (“to feed on”).
Meanings
- (uncountable) The ability of an animal to eat a variety of food (e.g. several different families of plants)
Relateds
pantophagous · polyphagous · pantophagy · polyphage