phytochemical

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH-

Proto-Indo-European *-yéti

Proto-Indo-European *bʰuHyéti

Ancient Greek φύω (phúō)

Ancient Greek φῠτόν (phŭtón)der.

English phyto-

Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰew-

Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥

Ancient Greek -μᾰ (-mă)

Ancient Greek χῠ́μᾰ (khŭ́mă)

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂

Proto-Hellenic *-íā

Ancient Greek -ία (-ía)

Ancient Greek χυμείᾱ (khumeíā)bor.

Arabic الْكِيمِيَاء (al-kīmiyāʔ)bor.

Medieval Latin alchēmia

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Ancient Greek χυμείᾱ (khumeíā)influ.

New Latin chēmia

Proto-Indo-European *-kos

Proto-Indo-European *-ikos

Proto-Italic *-ikos

Latin -icus

New Latin chēmicus

Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.?

Proto-Italic *-ālis

Latin -ālisbor.

Old French -albor.

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Latin -ālis

Old French -elbor.

▲

Latin -ālisbor.

Middle English -al

English -al

English chemical

English phytochemical

From phyto- + chemical.

Adjective

phytochemical (not comparable)

1. Pertaining to the chemistry of plants. [from 19th c.]
   • 1985, Wade Davis, The Serpent and the Rainbow, Simon & Schuster, page 87:

     The plants used belonged to botanical families known to have little phytochemical significance.

Derived terms

• phytochemically

Translations

pertraining to chemistry of plants

• Polish: fitochemiczny (pl) m
• Russian: фитохимический (ru) (fitoximičeskij)

Noun

phytochemical (plural phytochemicals)

1. Any chemical substance characteristic of plants.
2. Any chemical or nutrient derived from a plant source; a phytonutrient.

Translations

any chemical substance characteristic of plants

• Spanish: fitoquímico m