Zoophilous

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /zuˈɒfɪləs/

Definitions

1. Having an inclination towards animals and showing attraction or preference for their presence in diverse situations
2. Describing a quality of being drawn to animals and possessing a fondness or affinity for them in several contexts
3. Showing a natural attraction or preference for animals in various environments

Etymology: "Zoophilous" is built from two Greek elements: "zoion" meaning animal, and "-philos" meaning loving or fond of. The suffix "-philous" appears in a family of botanical and biological terms where it describes an affinity for a particular kind of agent or partner. Its most famous relative is "anemophilous," meaning pollinated by wind, and the pattern shows up in terms such as "entomophilous," for plants pollinated by insects. In that company, "zoophilous" was coined for plants pollinated by animals, which is why the word first appears in botany rather than in discussions of human behaviour. The word's core meaning is therefore literal and unglamorous: a zoophilous flower relies on creatures such as birds, bats or insects to carry its pollen. The sense of being fond of animals, or of attraction to them, is a later extension that grew out of the botanical use. The source does not provide a date for either sense, so the chronology of that shift is best described as gradual rather than dated.

Synonyms: animal-loving