autoecic
|au-to-ec-ic|
🇺🇸
/ˌɔːtoʊˈiːsɪk/
🇬🇧
/ˌɔːtəʊˈiːsɪk/
relating to a single species' ecology / single-host life cycle
Etymology
'autoecic' originates from modern scientific formation using Greek elements, specifically from Greek 'autós' meaning 'self' and 'oîkos' meaning 'house' or 'dwelling' (used in ecology to mean 'environment').
'autoecic' is derived from the formation of the noun 'autecology' (from Greek roots) and adjectival formations in New Latin/English (such as 'autecological' and 'autoecious'), eventually yielding the adjective 'autoecic' in scientific usage.
Initially formed to indicate things 'of or relating to autecology (the study of a species itself)'; over time it has been used both in general ecological contexts and more narrowly in pathology/mycology to mean 'completing a life cycle on a single host,' so its usage broadened from strictly 'individual-species ecology' to include the 'single-host' specialized sense.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to autecology; concerning the ecology of a single species or the relationship of an individual species to its environment.
The study provided an autoecic account of the beetle's lifecycle and habitat preferences.
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Adjective 2
describing a parasite or pathogen that completes its life cycle on a single host species (i.e., autoecious, as opposed to heteroecic).
The rust fungus was found to be autoecic, completing all stages of its life cycle on the same plant species.
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Last updated: 2025/11/25 06:22