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biotope

American  
[bahy-uh-tohp] / ˈbaɪ əˌtoʊp /

noun

Ecology.

  1. a portion of a habitat characterized by uniformity in climate and distribution of biotic and abiotic components, as a tidal pool or a forest canopy.

biotope British  
/ ˈbaɪəˌtəʊp /

noun

  1. ecology a small area, such as the bark of a tree, that supports its own distinctive community

"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
biotope Scientific  
/ bī′ə-tōp′ /

  1. A usually small or well-defined area that is uniform in environmental conditions and in its distribution of animal and plant life.

Etymology

Origin of biotope

1925–30; < German Biotop, equivalent to bio- bio- + Greek tópos place

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The term Lebensraum came into the German language as the equivalent of the French word biotope, or “habitat.”

From Slate • Mar. 8, 2017

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.