Meaning & use
extremophile
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An organism, typically a microbe, that thrives in extreme environmental conditions such as intense heat, cold, pressure, or acidity.
See it in a sentence
Scientists found extremophiles living near boiling hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor.
Some extremophiles can survive the harsh radiation and vacuum of outer space.
A note on using this word
Extremophiles are of great interest to astrobiologists, since they suggest life might survive in similarly harsh conditions on other planets.
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