-biont

1. a combining form meaning "living in the environment specified," used in the formation of compound words:

   symbiont.

Word History and Origins

Origin of -biont¹

< Greek biount-, variant stem of present participle of bioûn “to live”

Words That Use -biont

What does -biont mean?

The combining form –biont is used like a suffix meaning “living in an environment.” It is occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in biology.

The form –biont ultimately comes from Greek bioûn, meaning “to live.” The Latin cognate of bioûn is vivere, “to live,” which is the source of words such as survive, vivacity, and vivid. Find out more at our entry for each word.

What are variants of –biont?

Although –biont has no variants, it shares an origin with the combining forms bio– and –biosis. Want to learn more? Check out our Words That Use articles for bio– and –biosis.

Examples of -biont

An example of a scientific term that features the form –biont is mycobiont, “the fungal component of a lichen.”

The form myco– means “fungus,” from Greek mýkēs. The –biont portion of the word means “living in an environment.” Mycobiont literally translates to “living in a fungal environment.”

What are some words that use the combining form –biont?

• eobiont
• haplobiont
• phycobiont
• saprobiont
• symbiont (using the equivalent form of –biont in Greek)

What are some other forms that –biont may be commonly confused with?

• -biosis
• -ion
• -ont

Break it down!

The combining form sapro– means “rotten.” With this in mind, what does saprobiont mean?