-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”

When To Use

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.