Parrots love eucalyptus flowers. That's because anthophilous birds are naturally attracted to "ornithophilous" flowers-which is to say, flowers that are pollinated by birds. The "-philous" in both of those terms is the combining form that means "loving" (from Greek -philos). "Anthophilous" uses the Greek word anthos, meaning "flower," while "ornithophilous" traces back to Greek ornis, meaning "bird." "Ornithophilous" is one of a whole swarm of specialized words that identify flowers in terms of the flower-loving creatures that pollinate them. "Entomophilous" flowers, for example, are pollinated by anthophilous insects, such as bees. There's even a word specifically for plants that are pollinated by bees: "melittophilous" (from the Greek word melitta, meaning "bee").
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebWhether an anthophilous or floraphile, lovers of flowers no longer have to pack the car and make a three-hour trek to the Brenham countryside to frolic in the state's most brilliant blossom. David Taylor, Houston Chronicle, 17 Mar. 2018
Word History
Etymology
antho- + -philous, after earlier anthophile, borrowed from French