symbiont

[ sim-bee-ont, -bahy- ]

nounBiology.
  1. an organism living in a state of symbiosis.

Origin of symbiont

1
1885–90; <Greek symbiont- (stem of symbiṓn ), present participle of symbioûn “to live together”; see symbiosis, onto-
  • Also sym·bi·ote [sim-bee-oht, -bahy-]. /ˈsɪm biˌoʊt, -baɪ-/.

Other words from symbiont

  • sym·bi·on·tic [sim-bee-on-tik, -bahy-], /ˌsɪm biˈɒn tɪk, -baɪ-/, adjective

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How to use symbiont in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for symbiont

symbiont

/ (ˈsɪmbɪˌɒnt) /


noun
  1. an organism living in a state of symbiosis

Origin of symbiont

1
C19: from Greek sumbioun to live together, from bioun to live

Derived forms of symbiont

  • symbiontic, adjective
  • symbiontically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for symbiont

symbiont

[ sĭmbē-ŏnt′, -bī- ]


  1. An organism in a symbiotic relationship. In cases in which a distinction is made between two interacting organisms, the symbiont is the smaller of the two and is always a beneficiary in the relationship, while the larger organism is the host and may or may not derive a benefit. See also host parasite.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.