Arboricole

/ɑːrˈbɒrɪkoʊl/ noun

Definition

An organism or creature that lives in or on trees.

Etymology

From Latin arbor (tree) + -cola (inhabitant, from colere meaning to dwell or inhabit). The -cola suffix appears in words like 'agricola' (farmer) and gives us many ecological terms.

Kelly Says

Scientists use '-cole' to name organisms by their habitat—a 'saxicole' lives on rocks, a 'rupicole' on cliffs—so if you understand this suffix, you can decode dozens of ecological terms you've never heard before.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.