The Collaborative International Dictionary
Sylvatic \Syl*vat"ic\, a. [L. sylvaticus, better silvaticus. See Silvan, a.] Sylvan. [R.]
Wiktionary
a. 1 Of or pertaining to woods or woodland organisms; sylvan 2 Of or pertaining to wild rather than domestic animals
Wikipedia
Sylvatic is a scientific term referring to diseases or pathogens affecting only wild (sylvan means forest-dwelling) animals. In the context of animal research, its opposite is domestic, which refers to pets, farm animals or other animals which do not dwell in the wild.
- Examples: sylvatic rabies; sylvatic and domestic bacterial strains; sylvatic yellow fever
The word "sylvatic" is also simply a synonym for "sylvan" (or "silvan") = "of the forest".
The Latin words silvatica, silvaticus of this root are commonly used in biological taxonomy: Rana sylvatica (Wood Frog), agaricus silvaticus (Scaly Wood Mushroom), etc.
Usage examples of "sylvatic".
Adrian had first withdrawn me from my sylvatic wilderness to his own paradise of order and beauty, I had been wedded to literature.