antibiosis

[an-tee-bahy-oh-sis, an-tahy-]

noun

Biology.

1. an association between organisms that is injurious to one of them.

antibiosis

/ ˌæntɪbaɪˈəʊsɪs /

noun

1. an association between two organisms, esp microorganisms, that is harmful to one of them

antibiosis

1. An association between two or more organisms that is detrimental to at least one of them. Allelopathy (the production of chemicals by one plant species that inhibit the growth of another) is an example of antibiosis.

2. The antagonistic association between an organism and the metabolic substances produced by another.

Word History and Origins

Origin of antibiosis¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; anti- + -biosis

Example Sentences

The warfare among the bugs* is called "antibiosis," and the chemical weapons of war are "antibiotics."

From Time Magazine Archive