ecotype

noun

eco·​type ˈē-kə-ˌtīp How to pronounce ecotype (audio)
ˈe-
: a population of a species that survives as a distinct group through environmental selection and isolation and that is comparable with a taxonomic subspecies
ecotypic
ˌē-kə-ˈti-pik How to pronounce ecotype (audio)
ˌe-kə-
adjective

Examples of ecotype in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In botany, an ecotype occurs when a plant adapts to different environmental conditions with different size, appearance, or other traits. — Ian Rose, JSTOR Daily, 26 Feb. 2025 Not only one species, not only one varieties, not only one ecotype, but mixed. — Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ecotype was in 1916

Rhymes for ecotype

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Browse Nearby Words

ecotoxicology
ecotype
ecphonesis
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Cite this Entry

“Ecotype.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ecotype. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025.

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