In English vocabulary, what is a person who loves trees and forests called?

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Dendrophile

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This question asks for a one word term that describes a person who loves trees and forests. English uses many words formed with Greek roots such as dendro for tree and phile for lover. Recognising these roots is very useful in vocabulary based exams, because it allows you to understand and remember new words more easily, even if you have not seen them many times before.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • The description is a person who loves trees and forests.
  • Option A autophile suggests self lover if it were used, based on auto self.
  • Option B green panther is not a standard English term for a nature lover.
  • Option C dendrophile combines dendro tree and phile lover.
  • Option D petrichor refers to the pleasant smell after rain on dry soil.


Concept / Approach:
The word dendrophile is built from two Greek elements. Dendron means tree, and phile means lover or someone who is fond of something. So a dendrophile is literally a tree lover, that is, a person who has a special affection for trees and wooded areas. This fits the idea of someone who loves nature in the specific form of trees and forests. The other options either do not exist as standard words or have different meanings. Petrichor, for example, is a common exam word but it refers to a smell, not a person. By focusing on word roots, we can quickly identify dendrophile as the correct choice.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Break down the word dendrophile into its parts: dendro and phile.Step 2: Recall that dendro is associated with trees, as in dendrology, the scientific study of trees.Step 3: Recall that phile or philic means loving or attracted to, as in bibliophile for book lover.Step 4: Combine these meanings to get tree lover or a person who loves trees and forests.Step 5: Check the other options and see that none of them correctly match the description, which confirms that dendrophile must be the answer.


Verification / Alternative check:
We can verify by looking at related words. Dendrologist is a scientist who studies trees. A bibliophile is a person who loves books. In both cases, the phile part indicates love of something. Autophile, if used, would refer to someone who loves themselves or being alone, and it is not widely used in standard dictionaries. Petrichor is defined as the scent that rises from dry earth when rain first falls, which is about smell, not about a person. Green panther is not a recognized vocabulary item in this sense. These comparisons support dendrophile as the precise match.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A autophile does not relate to trees specifically and is uncommon. Option B green panther sounds like a phrase invented for the question and does not appear in standard English as a term for a nature lover. Option D petrichor is about the smell of rain on dry ground and does not describe a person at all. None of these capture the idea of a person who loves trees and forests, which dendrophile expresses accurately.


Common Pitfalls:
A typical mistake is to choose the most familiar word, such as petrichor, simply because you have seen it in reading passages. Another pitfall is to guess based on the word green in option B, thinking of nature, without checking whether it is an established word. The safest strategy is to break words into roots and match those roots to the meaning in the question. Recognising dendro as tree and phile as lover is very helpful in advanced vocabulary practice.


Final Answer:
The correct word is Dendrophile, which means a person who loves trees and forests.

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