Cacophagous
/ˌkækəˈfæɡəs/noun
Feeding on bad or foul matter; used especially of organisms that consume decaying or unpleasant material.
Did you know?Its first element, caco-, comes from Greek kakos, the same root behind words like cacophony and cacoethes, where “bad” becomes a force that names ugliness, disease, and ruin.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
kakós
“bad, evil, ugly, or worthless”
Ancient Greek
Greek
-phágos
“eating, devouring”
Late Greek / Scientific Latin
Greek/Latin
kakophágos
“feeding on foul or decaying matter”
19th Century
English
cacophagous
“describing organisms that eat decaying or foul material”
Modern English
English
cacophagous
“feeding on bad or foul matter”
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