Xylophagy
/ˌzaɪ.ləˈfædʒ.i/noun
The feeding on wood.
Did you know?Xylophagy comes from Greek roots used in scientific naming, and it describes termites, beetles, and fungi that literally consume wood from the inside out.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Gk
xýlon + -phagía
“wood + eating”
Late Greek
Gk
xylophagía
“wood-eating”
Modern Scientific Latin
Lat
xylophagia
“the eating of wood”
19th Century
English
xylophagy
“wood-eating, especially as a biological term”
Modern English
English
xylophagy
“the feeding on wood”