Alkaliphilic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Describing an organism that grows best in environments with a high pH, meaning strongly basic or alkaline conditions
2. Referring to microbes or other life forms that flourish in alkaline surroundings rather than neutral or acidic ones
3. Characterizing a living thing that prefers, and is adapted to thrive in, water or soil with a high alkalinity level

Etymology: Alkaliphilic describes organisms that thrive in highly alkaline conditions, typically a pH above about 9. The word is built in two steps: "alkaliphile" is the noun for such an organism, formed from "alkali" and the Greek-derived suffix "-phile", meaning "lover of", and "-ic" then turns that noun into an adjective. So the term is a layered modern formation, literally "alkali-loving" with an adjectival ending added on top. The "alkali" part has a surprising origin of its own. It came into English from medieval Latin, borrowed from Arabic "al-qaly", a term for the ash of saltwort plants, which was burned to produce a substance used in making glass and soap. The "phile" element traces back to Greek "philos", "loving", the same root that gives "philosophy" and "bibliophile". Because the word is a compound coined from classical parts, it describes a concept that the ancient languages never needed. It is a scientific formation, and its use in English reflects the study of microbes that live in soda lakes and other extreme alkaline habitats.

Synonyms: alkaliphilous

Antonyms: acidophilic