photodependent
|pho-to-de-pend-ent|
🇺🇸
/ˌfoʊtoʊdɪˈpɛndənt/
🇬🇧
/ˌfəʊtəʊdɪˈpɛndənt/
depends on light
Etymology
'photodependent' originates from Modern English, combining the Greek-derived prefix 'photo-' (from Greek 'phōtós', meaning 'light') with English 'dependent' (from Latin 'dēpendēre' via Old French 'dependre').
'photo-' entered scientific English from New Latin/Modern French as a combining form meaning 'light'; 'dependent' evolved from Latin 'dēpendēre' > Old French 'dependre' > Middle English 'dependen', and the compound 'photodependent' was formed in modern scientific usage to mean 'depending on light'.
Initially the elements meant 'light' ('photo-') and 'to hang down/lean on' ('dependent'); when combined as 'photodependent' the meaning has been specialized to 'depending on or activated by light' in scientific contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
requiring light to occur or be activated (used of chemical reactions, biological processes, or devices).
The photochromic dye is photodependent and changes color only when exposed to sunlight.
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Adjective 2
dependent on light for growth or development (used of organisms, tissues, or ecological processes).
Seedlings of this species are highly photodependent and will not thrive in deep shade.
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Adjective 3
showing activity or behavior that varies directly with light intensity (used in physiology or ecology).
The organism's feeding pattern is photodependent, increasing during bright hours and decreasing at night.
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Last updated: 2026/01/14 19:41