Definition

Describing animals or organisms that eat feces or dung.

Example

Some species of beetles are coprophagous, helping to recycle nutrients in the ecosystem.

Conversation

Did you know there are animals that are coprophagous?

Really? I never heard of that before. What does it mean?

It means they feed on dung, like some beetles do.

That's so interesting! Nature is full of surprises.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Coprophagous is formed from "copro-" (from Greek "kopros", meaning dung or excrement) and "-phagous" (from Greek "phagein", meaning to eat). The word describes organisms that eat feces or dung.

Memory Tip

Think of 'dung' ('copro-') and 'eating' ('-phagous') to remember that coprophagous refers to creatures that eat dung.

Visually Confused Words