decomposer: Meaning and Definition of

de•com•pos•er

Pronunciation: (dē"kum-pō'zur), [key]
— n.
  1. a person or thing that decomposes.
  2. an organism, usually a bacterium or fungus, that breaks down the cells of dead plants and animals into simpler substances.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.