nutrient

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

noun any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue
noun any substance (such as a chemical element or inorganic compound) that can be taken in by a green plant and used in organic synthesis
adjective of or providing nourishment

Borrowed from Latin nūtriēns, present participle of nūtriō (“to suckle, nourish, foster”).

And so, after they’ve finished depriving our water drop of its mineral nutrients, the droplet gets lighter, rises to the surface, there absorbs more salts left behind through evaporation, gets heavier, sinks again, and brings those tiny animals new elements to absorb. — Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas: An Underwater Tour of the World, Jules Verne

food

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