Loving dryness: in botany noting plants which are in various ways peculiarly adapted to dry, especially to hot and dry climates, as by possessing coriaceous leaves, succulent stems, etc.; specifically, belonging to the group of xerophils. See xerophil.
In recent usage correlated with xerophyte and equivalent to xerophytic, properly in sense 1: first used by Thurmann (1849), who regarded xerophilous plants as correlated with dysgeogenous soils. See quotation under silicicolous.