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bi·o·tur·ba·tion

(bī′ō-tər-bāshən)

The stirring or mixing of sediment or soil by organisms, especially by burrowing or boring.

[German : bio-, bio- + Latin turbātiō, turbātiōn-, distrubance (from turbātus, past participle of turbāre, to stir up; see DISTURB).]

bio·turbed′ (-tûrbd′) adj.

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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