life form

or life-form

noun

1. the form that is characteristic of a particular organism at maturity.

life form

noun

1. biology the characteristic overall form and structure of a mature organism on the basis of which it can be classified
2. any living creature
3. (in science fiction) an alien

Word History and Origins

Origin of life form¹

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

They used something very old—gas-propelled microbes, one of the earliest mobile life forms on Earth—and genetically engineered them to respond to sound waves.

From Popular-Science

Out in the forest, you just have this very strong feeling of the interconnection of all life forms, how every species has a role to play.

From Vox

However, that doesn’t mean every life form fights every other life form and the strongest prevails.

From Nautilus

The path to greater harmony between all life forms is long and turns on perspective and scientific clarity.

From Nautilus

It may be that the way that alien life forms are related to each other is completely different, and so their sociality may be completely different as well.

From Quanta Magazine

The summit of the stone pile was now covered with lizards of some type, apparently the local life-form.

From Project Gutenberg

The systematic collections accumulated during his long life form one of the glories of the Kew Herbarium.

From Project Gutenberg

They have come here to take over these planets, and have started out with the first, natural moves of any invading life-form.

From Project Gutenberg

When you attack them, they merely say 'The life-form of Earth is sending out controlled machines.

From Project Gutenberg

Minutes later a life-form investigator came with a small cage, which held a guinea pig.

From Project Gutenberg