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abiotic

or a·bi·ot·i·cal

[ey-bahy-ot-ik or ey-bahy-ot-i-kuh l; ab-ee-]
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adjective
  1. of or characterized by the absence of life or living organisms.
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Origin of abiotic

a-6 + biotic
Related formsa·bi·ot·i·cal·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Word Origin and History for abiotic

adj.

"without life," 1870, from a- (3) + biotic.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
abiotic in Science

abiotic

[ā′bī-ŏt′ĭk]
  1. Not associated with or derived from living organisms. Abiotic factors in an environment include such items as sunlight, temperature, wind patterns, and precipitation. Compare biotic.
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Related formsabiosis noun (ā′bī-ō′sĭs)
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.