micronutrients
|mi-cro-nu-tri-ent|
🇺🇸
/ˌmaɪkroʊˈnuːtriənt/
🇬🇧
/ˌmaɪkrəʊˈnjuːtriənt/
(micronutrient)
small essential nutrients
Etymology
'micronutrient' originates from Modern English, specifically the combination of the prefix 'micro-' (from Greek 'mikros', where 'mikros' meant 'small') and the noun 'nutrient' (from Latin 'nutrire', where 'nutrire' meant 'to nourish').
'nutrient' changed from Latin 'nutrire' (past participle forms such as 'nutriens') and entered English as 'nutrient'; 'micro-' comes from Greek 'mikros'; the compound 'micronutrient' was coined in English in the 20th century within nutritional science.
Initially related to nourishment ('to nourish'), the combined form 'micronutrient' came to specifically denote nutrients required in very small (micro) amounts; this technical sense developed with modern nutritional science.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
vitamins or minerals required by organisms in very small quantities for normal growth, development, and metabolic functioning.
Many people get enough macronutrients but lack certain micronutrients such as iron and vitamin D.
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Noun 2
in agriculture and plant science, essential chemical elements or compounds needed in trace amounts for healthy plant growth (e.g., zinc, manganese, iron).
Soil in that region is often deficient in micronutrients like zinc, which reduces crop yields.
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Last updated: 2025/12/24 11:34