xeric
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What does “xeric” mean and how is it pronounced?
It's the word of the day podcast for july eleventh. Today's word is Xeric, also pronounced Xeric, and spelled X E R I C. Xeric is an adjective. It means characterized by relating to or requiring only a small amount of moisture.
How are xeric (low‑water) landscapes described in real‑world examples?
Here's the word used in a sentence from the Colorado Springs Gazette. Thoughtfully designed xeric or low water landscapes can be dynamic, layered, and full of color. Native plants and those adapted to the intermountain west are Provide habitat and food for pollinators and birds while needing a fraction of the water that bluegrass demands. Few English words begin with the letter X, but of those that do, a number come from the Greek xeros meaning dry.
What is the Greek origin of “xeric” and how did botanists first use the term?
around the turn of the twentieth century, botanists were using the term xerophyte and xerophytic for plants that were well adapted to survive without much water. But when seeking a more generic word that included both animals and plants, they came up dry. In a nineteen twenty six issue of Ecology, specialists proposed using Xeric as a more generalized term for either flora or fauna. They further suggested that xerophytic, among other terms, be entirely abandoned as useless and misleading. Not everyone liked the idea, in fact, the Ecological Society of America stated that Zeric was not desirable, preferring terms such as arid.
Why did scientists debate the use of “xeric” versus “arid” and how did the term become accepted?
Others declared that the word should refer only to habitats, not to organisms. Enough scientists used it anyway, however, and by the nineteen forties, Zirik was well documented in scientific literature. With your word of the day, I'm Peter Sokolowski. Visit MarionWebster dot com today for definitions, wordplay, and trending word lookups.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What does “xeric” mean and how is it pronounced?
0:06–0:27
2
How are xeric (low‑water) landscapes described in real‑world examples?
0:27–1:01
3
What is the Greek origin of “xeric” and how did botanists first use the term?
1:01–1:48
4
Why did scientists debate the use of “xeric” versus “arid” and how did the term become accepted?
1:48–2:15