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bio

[bahy-oh]Informal.
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noun, plural bi·os.
  1. biography.
  2. biology.
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adjective
  1. biographical.
  2. biological: a bio control service using praying mantises to reduce the population of garden pests.
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Origin of bio

1945–50; by shortening; as adj., independent use of bio-, taken as a free form

bio-

  1. a combining form meaning “life” occurring in loanwords from Greek (biography); on this model, used in the formation of compound words (bioluminescence).
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Also especially before a vowel, bi-.

Origin of bio-

combining form of Greek bíos life; akin to Latin vīvus living, Sanskrit jīvas. See quick
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for bio

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • I reserve for myself the command of the army of the Bio Bio.

  • But the Bio Bio had to be crossed, and there lay the difficulty.

  • "The bio team stole all the weapons," MacFarland said without preamble.

  • The bio- and psycho-sciences were completely outside his field.

    Naudsonce

    H. Beam Piper

  • The botanist helped Cleve and me set up the bio kit, and he confirmed Cleve's guess.

    Tabby

    Winston Marks

British Dictionary definitions for bio

bio

noun plural bios
  1. short for biography
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bio-

before a vowel bi-

combining form
  1. indicating or involving life or living organismsbiogenesis; biolysis
  2. indicating a human life or careerbiography; biopic
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Word Origin

from Greek bios life
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

Word Origin and History for bio

n.

short for biography, attested from 1961.

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bio-

word-forming element, from Greek bio-, comb. form of bios "one's life, course or way of living, lifetime" (as opposed to zoe "animal life, organic life"), from PIE root *gweie- "to live" (cf. Sanskrit jivah "alive, living;" Old English cwic "alive;" Latin vivus "living, alive," vita "life;" Middle Persian zhiwak "alive;" Old Church Slavonic zivo "to live;" Lithuanian gyvas "living, alive;" Old Irish bethu "life," bith "age;" Welsh byd "world"). Equivalent of Latin vita. The correct usage is that in biography, but in modern science it has been extended to mean "organic life."

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
bio in Medicine

bio-

pref.
  1. Life; living organism:biology.
  2. Biology; biological:biophysics.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.