photosynthesis
/ˌfoʊtəˈsɪnθɪsɪs/
noun
Origin
Ancient Greek
φῶς (phōs) + σύνθεσις (synthesis) — light + putting together
Overview
Meaning Now
- The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water.
- A chemical process in which solar energy is converted into chemical energy stored in glucose.
Literal older meaning
synthesis by light
Language path
Ancient Greek → New Latin → English
Earliest form
photosynthesis
Earliest period
1898
Journey
The term was introduced during the late 19th century as plant physiology emerged as a distinct discipline. It replaced earlier, less descriptive terms such as 'assimilation' to specifically highlight the role of light energy.
Evolution
- Ancient Greek
φῶς + σύνθεσις
“light + composition/placing together”
Original components in Classical Greek.
- 19th Century German
Photosynthese
“synthesis powered by light”
Coined by Wilhelm Pfeffer in his 'Pflanzenphysiologie'.
- Late 19th Century English
photosynthesis
“process of light-driven chemical synthesis”
Adopted into English scientific lexicon.
Connections
Word parts
photo-
prefix
light
-synthesis
root
putting together
Related across languages
German
Photosynthese
photosynthesis
French
photosynthèse
photosynthesis
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.