'saprophage' originates from New Latin, specifically the word 'saprophagus', where 'sapro-' meant 'rotten' and '-phage' (from Greek 'phagein') meant 'to eat'.

'saprophage' derives ultimately from Greek 'saprophagos' (σαπροφάγος), formed from 'sapros' meaning 'rotten' and 'phagein' meaning 'to eat'; it passed into New Latin as 'saprophagus' and was adopted into scientific English as 'saprophage'.

Initially, it meant 'one that eats rotten or decaying matter,' and this meaning has remained essentially the same in modern usage.