Standard Lemma guide

chemosynthesis

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

The production of carbohydrates and other compounds from simple compounds such as carbon dioxide, using the oxidation of chemical nutrients as a source of energy rather than sunlight; it is limited to certain bacteria and fungi.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

synthesis of carbohydrate from carbon dioxide and water; limited to certain bacteria and fungi

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: synthesis

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ǵhew- Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Ancient Greek -μᾰ (-mă) Ancient Greek χῠ́μᾰ (khŭ́mă) Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh2 Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ία (-ía) Ancient Greek χυμείᾱ (khumeíā)bor. Arabic الْكِيمِيَاء (al-kīmiyāʔ)bor. Medieval Latin alchēmia ▲ Ancient Greek χυμείᾱ (khumeíā)influ. New Latin chēmīader. English chemo- English synthesis English chemosynthesis From chemo- + synthesis.

Across languages

Translations

22 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: تمثيل كيميائي (Tamthīl kīmyāʼī) — production of carbohydrates and other compounds from simple compounds
  • Armenian: քեմոսինթեզ (kʻemosintʻez) — production of carbohydrates and other compounds from simple compounds
  • Chinese Mandarin: 化能合成 (huànénghéchéng) — production of carbohydrates and other compounds from simple compounds
  • Estonian: kemosüntees — production of carbohydrates and other compounds from simple compounds
  • Finnish: kemosynteesi — production of carbohydrates and other compounds from simple compounds
  • French: chimiosynthèse — production of carbohydrates and other compounds from simple compounds
  • German: Chemosynthese — production of carbohydrates and other compounds from simple compounds
  • Greek: χημειοσύνθεση (chimeiosýnthesi) — production of carbohydrates and other compounds from simple compounds
  • Hungarian: kemoszintézis — production of carbohydrates and other compounds from simple compounds
  • Icelandic: efnatillífun — production of carbohydrates and other compounds from simple compounds
  • Japanese: 化学合成 (kagakugōsei) — production of carbohydrates and other compounds from simple compounds
  • Kazakh: хемосинтез (xemosintez) — production of carbohydrates and other compounds from simple compounds
  • Korean: 화학합성 (hwahakhapseong) — production of carbohydrates and other compounds from simple compounds
  • Kyrgyz: хемосинтез (hemosintez) — production of carbohydrates and other compounds from simple compounds
  • Latvian: hemosintēze — production of carbohydrates and other compounds from simple compounds
  • Macedonian: хемосинтеза (hemosinteza) — production of carbohydrates and other compounds from simple compounds
  • Portuguese: quimiossíntese — production of carbohydrates and other compounds from simple compounds
  • Russian: хемоси́нтез (xemosíntez) — production of carbohydrates and other compounds from simple compounds
  • Spanish: quimiosíntesis — production of carbohydrates and other compounds from simple compounds
  • Tamil: வேதிச்சேர்க்கை (vēticcērkkai) — production of carbohydrates and other compounds from simple compounds
  • Turkish: kemosentez — production of carbohydrates and other compounds from simple compounds
  • Vietnamese: hóa tổng hợp — production of carbohydrates and other compounds from simple compounds