life form

American  

Or life-form

noun

1. the form that is characteristic of a particular organism at maturity.

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life form British  

noun

1. biology the characteristic overall form and structure of a mature organism on the basis of which it can be classified

2. any living creature

3. (in science fiction) an alien

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Etymology

Origin of life form

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

The bacteria, called SAR11, are the most abundant life forms in surface seawater across the globe.

From Science Daily

Their unusual preservation has drawn intense interest from scientists, who want to understand how such fragile life forms were recorded so clearly in sandstone.

From Science Daily

As we look toward Mars, researchers are asking whether small life forms could again play an outsized role, this time by helping turn a barren world into a place humans can survive.

From Science Daily

In these smaller volumes of water, nutrients would be more concentrated than in a large ocean, potentially making it easier for simple life forms to survive.

From Science Daily

The new evidence suggests that fungi had already been active for hundreds of millions of years, interacting with early life forms and transforming the landscape.

From Science Daily