epigeic
|ep-i-ge-ic|
/ˌɛpɪˈdʒiːɪk/
living on the ground surface
Etymology
'epigeic' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'epigeios', where 'epi-' meant 'upon' and 'ge' meant 'earth'.
'epigeic' entered scientific English via New Latin/Neo-Latin formations (e.g. 'epigeicus'/'epigeios') used in zoology and ecology in the 19th–20th centuries, ultimately becoming the modern English adjective 'epigeic'.
Initially, it meant 'on the earth' in a literal sense, but over time it evolved into the specialized ecological meaning 'living on or at the soil surface'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
living on or occurring at the surface of the ground; describing organisms (e.g., earthworms, insects) that inhabit leaf litter or the soil surface rather than inside the soil.
Epigeic earthworms live in the leaf litter on the forest floor rather than burrowing deep in the soil.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/30 22:40