stercovorous

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌstɝːˈkɑːvərəs/ UK /ˌstɜːˈkɒvərəs/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
feeding on dung, especially as an insect or other small animal

Stercovorous beetles buried portions of the fresh dung beneath the soil.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · feeding on dung, especially... dung-eatingcoprophagousscatophagous

Word family

Related forms dung beetledetritivorecoprophagy

Etymology

Formed from Latin stercus, genitive stercoris, 'dung,' + -vorous, 'eating,' from Latin vorare, 'to devour.' Nineteenth-century naturalists used it chiefly of dung-feeding insects.

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

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