photosynthesis
noun
pho·to·syn·the·sis
| \ ˌfō-tō-ˈsin(t)-thə-səs
\
\
Definition of photosynthesis
: synthesis of chemical compounds with the aid of radiant energy and especially light
especially
: formation of carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and a source of hydrogen (such as water) in the chlorophyll-containing cells (as of green plants) exposed to light
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Other Words from photosynthesis
photosynthesize
\ ˌfō-tō-ˈsin(t)-thə-ˌsīz
\
intransitive verb
\
intransitive verb
photosynthetic
\ ˌfō-tō-sin-ˈthe-tik
\
adjective
\
adjective
photosynthetically
\ ˌfō-tō-sin-ˈthe-ti-k(ə-)lē
\
adverb
\
adverb
Examples of photosynthesis in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Soils under stress Healthy, fertile soils are rich in organic matter built of carbon that living plants pulled out of the atmosphere through photosynthesis. — David R. Montgomery, The Conversation, "Restoring soil can help address climate change," 13 Aug. 2019 The trees still have sufficient leaf area to collect sunlight for photosynthesis. — Beth Botts, chicagotribune.com, "Lady Macbeth wouldn’t be happy, but maple leaf tar spot is basically harmless," 8 Aug. 2019 With the stomata closed, the intake of carbon dioxide is shut down, which stops the production of sugars and the process of photosynthesis. — Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Water needs for roses rise with summer temperatures," 11 July 2019 Trees take carbon out of the atmosphere through photosynthesis, so planting more of them is one way to do this. — Ivana Kottasová, CNN, "What would life be like in a zero-carbon country?," 16 June 2019 Labs all over the world are working on building chemical solar cell prototypes that are modeled upon natural photosynthesis. — Peter Byrne, Quanta Magazine, "In Pursuit of Quantum Biology With Birgitta Whaley," 30 July 2013 All corals live in symbiosis with algae that provide energy to their host through photosynthesis. — Smithsonian, "Amazing Photos Reveal the Hidden Light of Undersea Life," 25 July 2019 This shuts down transpiration and the gaseous exchanges needed for photosynthesis, in which the tree takes in carbon dioxide and releases water and oxygen. — Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, "Trees can’t escape the extreme heat. But they do have some clever coping mechanisms.," 20 July 2019 There are three categories of carbon ratios for plant photosynthesis: C3, C4, and CAM. — Erin Blakemore, National Geographic, "Where you grew up, what you ate—your bones record your life," 18 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'photosynthesis.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for photosynthesis
photosynthesis
noun
English Language Learners Definition of photosynthesis
biology
: the process by which a green plant turns water and carbon dioxide into food when the plant is exposed to light
See the full definition for photosynthesis in the English Language Learners Dictionary
photosynthesis
noun
pho·to·syn·the·sis
| \ ˌfō-tə-ˈsin-thə-səs
\
\
Kids Definition of photosynthesis
: the process by which green plants and a few other organisms (as some protists) form carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water in the presence of light
photosynthesis
noun
pho·to·syn·the·sis
| \ ˌfōt-ō-ˈsin(t)-thə-səs
\
\
plural photosyntheses
Medical Definition of photosynthesis
: synthesis of chemical compounds with the aid of light sometimes including the near infrared or near ultraviolet
especially
: the formation of carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and a source of hydrogen (as water) in chlorophyll-containing cells (as of green plants) exposed to light involving a photochemical release of oxygen through the decomposition of water followed by various enzymatic synthetic reactions that usually do not require the presence of light
Other Words from photosynthesis
photosynthesize
\ -ˌsīz
\
also British photosynthesise
intransitive verb
photosynthesized
also British photosynthesised;
photosynthesizing
also British photosynthesising
\
also British photosynthesise
intransitive verb
photosynthesized
also British photosynthesised;
photosynthesizing
also British photosynthesising
photosynthetic
\ -sin-ˈthet-ik
\
adjective
\
adjective
photosynthetically
\ -i-k(ə-)lē
\
adverb
\
adverb
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