Crinivorous

/krɪˈnɪvərəs/ adjective

Definition

Feeding on or eating hair; organisms that consume hair as food.

Etymology

From Latin crinis (hair) plus vorare (to devour), creating a term for organisms that feed on hair, parallel to carnivorous and herbivorous.

Kelly Says

Hair-eating insects and mites actually exist—demodex mites live in human hair follicles and sebaceous glands—so 'crinivorous' describes a real biological phenomenon, yet we never use the word, preferring to say 'feeds on hair' instead of this logically perfect term.

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