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bi·ol·o·gy

(bī-ŏlə-jē)

1. The science of life and of living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, and distribution and encompassing numerous fields such as botany, zoology, mycology, and microbiology.

2. The life processes or characteristic phenomena of a group or category of living organisms: the biology of fungi.

3. The living organisms present in a specific area or region.

[German Biologie : Greek bio-, bio- + Greek -logiā, -logy.]

bi·olo·gist n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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