decomposer
noun
de·com·pos·er
ˌdē-kəm-ˈpō-zər 
: any of various organisms (such as many bacteria and fungi) that return constituents of organic substances to ecological cycles by feeding on and breaking down dead protoplasm compare consumer, producer sense 4
Examples of decomposer in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Through photosynthesis, the particles of light power a cellular reaction that manufactures chemical energy (in the form of sugars), which is then passed around the food web in a complex dance of herbivores, predators, scavengers, decomposers and more.
—
Quanta Magazine, 29 Jan. 2025
However, millipedes are harmless decomposers, breaking down decaying plant matter and enriching the soil, which is crucial for sustaining a healthy ecosystem.
6.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 14 Oct. 2024
Soil microbes include insects, fungi, bacteria, and earthworms, many of which act as decomposers to break down these plant and animal wastes into compounds usable by plants.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2024
Yet beetles are essential decomposers, breaking down plant material and recycling nutrients back into the soil.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 14 Oct. 2024
The oxygen that animals and decomposers would have used to break down those absentee plants remains in the atmosphere, having escaped the usual cycle.
—Ferris Jabr, The Atlantic, 25 June 2024
The fungus is a saprotrophic decomposer, a mushroom that typically gets its nutrients from dead or decaying organic matter — but a 2023 study found the mushroom could evolve to thrive on living plants as well.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024
That means the genus, which contains hundreds of species, can pull an ecological 180, switching from decomposer to parasite or mutualist.
—Jude Coleman, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2024
Furthermore, soil already hosts an exceptionally diverse microbial community full of decomposers that are well adapted to that environment and would presumably outcompete any newcomers.
—Jennifer Debruyn, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2023
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Quanta Magazine, 29 Jan. 2025
However, millipedes are harmless decomposers, breaking down decaying plant matter and enriching the soil, which is crucial for sustaining a healthy ecosystem.
6.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 14 Oct. 2024
Soil microbes include insects, fungi, bacteria, and earthworms, many of which act as decomposers to break down these plant and animal wastes into compounds usable by plants.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2024
Yet beetles are essential decomposers, breaking down plant material and recycling nutrients back into the soil.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 14 Oct. 2024
The oxygen that animals and decomposers would have used to break down those absentee plants remains in the atmosphere, having escaped the usual cycle.
—Ferris Jabr, The Atlantic, 25 June 2024
The fungus is a saprotrophic decomposer, a mushroom that typically gets its nutrients from dead or decaying organic matter — but a 2023 study found the mushroom could evolve to thrive on living plants as well.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024
That means the genus, which contains hundreds of species, can pull an ecological 180, switching from decomposer to parasite or mutualist.
—Jude Coleman, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2024
Furthermore, soil already hosts an exceptionally diverse microbial community full of decomposers that are well adapted to that environment and would presumably outcompete any newcomers.
—Jennifer Debruyn, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Decomposer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decomposer. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
decomposer
noun
de·com·pos·er
ˌdē-kəm-ˈpō-zər
: an organism (as a bacterium or a fungus) that feeds on and breaks down dead plant or animal matter
Medical Definition
decomposer
noun
de·com·pos·er
ˌdē-kəm-ˈpō-zər
: any of various organisms (as many bacteria and fungi) that return constituents of organic substances to ecological cycles by feeding on and breaking down dead protoplasm
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