philo-, phil-, -phile, -philia, -philic, -philous, -phily, -philiac, -philist, -philism
(Greek: love, loving, friendly to, fondness for, attraction to; strong tendency toward, affinity for)
These are just a few of the meanings set up for the etymological meanings of philo- which comes to us from Greek.
In biology, there are many words that use philo-, phil- to mean "thriving in such and such a place or situation; or exhibiting a tendency for a specified condition" for its existence.
Other meanings include: "strongly attracted to; such as, an organism that loves or is strongly attracted to something which is specified".
In psychology and psychiatry, -phile, -philia, etc. use this element as a word termination indicating an abnormal craving or attraction to or an affinity for an object as shown by the word stems to which they are affixed.
oceanophilous (adjective) (not comparable)
In biology, referring to living things that dwell and thrive in oceanic habitats: Oceanophilous flora and fauna are those that exist in the seas of the world.
An affinity for dwelling and thriving in an ocean: After reading about oceanophily in his textbook, Mark became very interested in the wondrous world of life within the ocean.
An organism that thrives on banks: Slow-living bacteria, or ochthophiles, have been detected on an oceanic crust in the Indian Ocean at the Atlantis Bank.
ochthophilous (adjective) (not comparable)
In biology, referring to a life form that exists on banks: Ochthophilous microbes are able to thrive on an ocean bank or a fishing bank, which is shallow as compared to the area around it.
The feature of life taking place on an ocean bank: When ochthophily was talked about about in Jim's class at school, he became very interested in the different kinds of organisms that thrived on such fishing banks.
In psychiatry, a term for the person with a type of primitive two-person relationship in which the subject is clingingly dependent on an overvalued object and is unable to make any move toward independence: In a book that Linda read, an ocnophile was described as an individual who was totally and obsessively dependent on his or her partner.
Someone who enjoys wine or who is an expert judge in matters of taste: Many oenophils flocked to the local grape festival.
1. A special love of, or fondness for wine, including collecting it and drinking it: Ted was an oenophile who had a large cellar with an abundance of bottles of fermented grape juice from around the world.
2. Etymology: from Greek oinos, "wine" + Greek philo, "loving or having a fondness for something or someone".
2. Etymology: from Greek oinos, "wine" + Greek philo, "loving or having a fondness for something or someone".
Someone who loves wine or who knows a great deal about it: Greg completed his training to be a oenophilist and received his sommelier (chef de cuisine) certificate. Now he is able to recommend vintages to the patrons in the dining room of the 5-star hotel.
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Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
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A condition that involves a fondness for collecting and drinking various kinds of wine: Mary’s next-door neighbor is known for her oenophily because she often attends trade shows exhibiting grape beverages from around the world.
oleophilic (adjective), more oleophilic, most oleophilic
Pertaining to a substance having an affinity for oils; lipophilic: Sponges are termed as being oleophilic, or having the ability of absorbing oil easily.
Sponges are also "superhydrophobic", which means they are extremely difficult to wet, and remain on the surface of water.
A form of life that thrives in habitats having a low nitrogen content: The pitcher plant, an oligonitrophile, is insectivorous and grows well in an environment of nitrogen deficient soil.
oligonitrophilous (adjective) (not comparable)
Concerning life in regions with a low amount of nitrogen: Some oligonitrophilous bacteria and microbes can grow in soil with a low nitrogen content, but too much nitrogen can lead to plants not thriving well.
The existence of a life form thriving in environments having a low nitrogen content: Joan read that oligonitrophily can lead to a low crop production because almost all plants, except for the tropical pitcher plant, need a certain amount of nitrogen to grow well.
Plants and animals that are capable of surviving with a lot of water vapor in the air and on the ground: Various forms of vegetation and zoological species that live in tropical and rainy regions are examples of ombrophiles.
You may take a self-scoring quiz over some of the words in this section by just clicking this Philo Quiz #1 link.Related "love, fondness" units: agape-; amat-; vener-; venus.
