hyphal
|hy-phal|
/ˈhaɪfəl/
relating to hyphae (filamentous fungal threads)
Etymology
'hyphal' originates from New Latin, specifically the word 'hypha', where 'hypha' came from Greek 'hyphe' meaning 'web' or 'web-like structure'.
'hyphe' (Greek) → 'hypha' (New Latin/Modern Latin, used in biology for filamentous structures) → English adjective 'hyphal' formed by adding the suffix '-al' to mean 'relating to hypha'.
Initially, the root referred to a 'web' or 'woven' structure in Greek; over time it came to denote the thread-like filaments of fungi, and 'hyphal' now means 'relating to those fungal filaments'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to, consisting of, or having hyphae (the long, branching filamentous structures of fungi).
Hyphal growth enabled the fungus to explore and exploit the nutrient-rich substrate.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/01 14:46