symbiont
Americannoun
noun
-
An organism in a symbiotic relationship. In cases in which a distinction is made between two interacting organisms, the symbiont is the smaller of the two and is always a beneficiary in the relationship, while the larger organism is the host and may or may not derive a benefit.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of symbiont
1885–90; < Greek symbiont- (stem of symbiṓn ), present participle of symbioûn “to live together”; see symbiosis, onto-
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.
Once they applied it to the original seawater samples collected from the North Atlantic, their suspicions about it being a symbiont were quickly confirmed.
From Science Daily ● May 9, 2024
"There is a lot of variation within both the animal and symbiont genera. We need to understand the variation."
From Science Daily ● Nov. 30, 2023
Bacteria, for instance, may make up as much as 95 percent of the serotonin in our bloodstreams, meaning you have a diverse symbiont community to thank for your pleasant mood.
From Slate ● Jan. 23, 2020
"The host and the symbiont communicate in ways we don't understand," she says.
From Science Magazine ● Nov. 14, 2019
In this latter case, which is often realised—e.g. lichens, leguminous plants and the organisms in their root-nodules, mycorrhiza, etc.—we leave the domain of disease, which supervenes indeed if the other symbiont is lacking.
From Disease in Plants by H. Marshall Ward
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
