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biology

American  
[bahy-ol-uh-jee] / baɪˈɒl ə dʒi /

noun

  1. the science of life or living matter in all its forms and phenomena, especially with reference to origin, growth, reproduction, structure, and behavior.

  2. the living organisms of a region.

    the biology of Pennsylvania.

  3. the biological phenomena characteristic of an organism or a group of organisms.

    She is studying the biology of worms, especially in regard to their reproductive behavior.


biology British  
/ baɪˈɒlədʒɪ /

noun

  1. the study of living organisms, including their structure, functioning, evolution, distribution, and interrelationships

  2. the structure, functioning, etc, of a particular organism or group of organisms

  3. the animal and plant life of a particular region

"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

biology Scientific  
/ bī-ŏlə-jē /
  1. The scientific study of life and of living organisms. Botany, zoology, and ecology are all branches of biology.


biology Cultural  
  1. The study of life and living systems.


Other Word Forms

  • biologist noun

Etymology

Origin of biology

From the German word Biologie, dating back to 1805–15. See bio-, -logy

Compare meaning

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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.

Their findings show that at least one microbe can tolerate ambiguity in its genetic code, overturning a central assumption in biology.

From Science Daily

Although the structural "blueprint" was first identified in fruit flies, its relevance extends to human biology.

From Science Daily

What I want to better understand is whether I have a legal obligation to provide support to this man, who is connected to me only through biology.

From MarketWatch

The interactions revealed in the files are “very dehumanizing” for women, according to Baran, an assistant professor of biology at Davidson College.

From Salon

"Using synthetic biology, we built something like an electrical circuit, but instead of wires we used pieces of DNA," said Dr. Brian Ingalls, a professor of applied mathematics at Waterloo.

From Science Daily