n. [ Gr. 'a priv. + bi`os life + ge`nesis, origin, birth. ] (Biol.) The supposed origination of living organisms from lifeless matter; such genesis as does not involve the action of living parents; spontaneous generation; -- called also abiogeny, and opposed to biogenesis. [ 1913 Webster ]

I shall call the . . . doctrine that living matter may be produced by not living matter, the hypothesis of abiogenesis. Huxley, 1870. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Biol.) Of or pertaining to abiogenesis. Ab`i*o*ge*net"ic*al*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

n. (Biol.) One who believes that life can be produced independently of antecedent. Huxley. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Biol.) Produced by spontaneous generation. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Biol.) Same as Abiogenesis. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. 'a priv. + E. biological. ] Pertaining to the study of inanimate things. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Biol.) Related to, or of the nature of, aërobies; as, aërobiotic plants, which live only when supplied with free oxygen. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Prob. from the same root as Gael. alp a height or hill. “It may have been bestowed on the land lying behind the white cliffs visible from the coast of Gaul. Albany, the old name of Scotland, means probably the “hilly land.” I. Taylor. ] An ancient name of England, still retained in poetry. [ 1913 Webster ]

In that nook-shotten isle of Albion. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to amphibiology. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; amphibious + -logy: cf. F. amphibiologie. ] A treatise on amphibious animals; the department of natural history which treats of the Amphibia. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. 'amfi` + biwtiko`s pertaining to life. ] (Zool.) A division of insects having aquatic larvæ. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. 'amfi`bios living a double life, i. e., both on land in water; 'amfi` + bi`os life. ] 1. Having the ability to live both on land and in water, as frogs, crocodiles, beavers, and some plants. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Pertaining to, adapted for, or connected with, both land and water. [ 1913 Webster ]

The amphibious character of the Greeks was already determined: they were to be lords of land and sea. Hare. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Of a mixed nature; partaking of two natures. [ 1913 Webster ]

Not in free and common socage, but in this amphibious subordinate class of villein socage. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Like an amphibious being. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. suspended animation in organisms during periods of extreme drought from which they revive when moisture returns. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. 1. of or pertaining to anabiosis. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. (Anat.) Related to, or of the nature of, anaërobies. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A chemical substance derived from a mold or bacterium that kills microorganisms and cures infections.
Syn. -- wonder drug [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. any chemical substance having therapeutically useful antibacterial or antifungal activity; -- used commonly but loosely for synthetic as well as natural antimicrobial agents. [ PJC ]

adj. 1. of or pertaining to an antibiotic. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. having antimicrobial activity; capable of killing microbes. [ PJC ]

-- antibiotically, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Pref. arche- = archi- + Gr. bi`wsis, bi`os, life. ] The origination of living matter from non-living. See Abiogenesis. Bastian. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. exobiology; -- not used technically.
Syn. -- exobiology. [ PJC ]

n. [ Auto- + biographer. ] One who writes his own life or biography. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. Pertaining to, or containing, autobiography; as, an autobiographical sketch. “Such traits of the autobiographic sort.” Carlyle. -- Au`to*bi`o*graph"ic*al*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

n. One who writes his own life; an autobiographer. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Autobiographies [ Auto- + biography. ] A biography written by the subject of it; memoirs of one's life written by one's self. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ See Baboon. ] A baboon. [ Obs. ] B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

pref. a prefix meaning of or pertaining to life, produced by living things, etc. [ PJC ]

adj. acting upon or influencing bodily functions; -- of chemical substances.
Syn. -- pharmacological. [ PJC ]

n. appraisal of the biological activity of a substance by testing its effect on an organism. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. 1 to subject to a bio-assay.
Syn. -- bio-assay. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Gr. bi`os life + -blast. ] (Biol.) Same as Bioplast. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a biochemical catalyst such as an enzyme. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. of or pertaining to a biocatalyst. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. caused by a biocatalyst. [ PJC ]

a. [ L. bis twice + ocellatus. See Ocellated. ] (Zool.) Having two ocelli (eyelike spots); -- said of a wing, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. of or pertaining to biochemistry. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. a chemical substance produced by a living organism, or such a substance produced synthetically. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Gr. bi`os life + E. chemistry. ] (Biol.) The chemistry of living organisms; the chemistry of the processes incidental to, and characteristic of, life. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ , a. } 1. (Biol.) Of or pertaining to biodynamics, or the doctrine of vital forces or energy. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

2. of or pertaining to a method of farming that uses only organic fertilizers (rather than chemical fertilizers) and organic materials for improving the soil characteristics. [ PJC ]

n. [ Gr. bi`os life + E. dynamics. ] 1. (Biol.) The doctrine of vital forces or energy. [ archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The branch of biology which treats of the active vital phenomena of organisms; -- opposed to biostatics. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. electric phenomena in animals or plants. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. biological science applied to the study the relation between workers and their environments.
Syn. -- ergonomics. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. the application of engineeering principles to solve problems in medicine, such as the design of artificial limbs or organs; -- called also biomedical engineering. [ PJC ]

3. the branch of engineering dealing with the application of biological processes to the solution of practical problems, such as the manufacture of products by fermentation, the production and use of enzymes for various purposes, the use of microorganisms in environmental cleanup, etc.; -- called also biotechnology. [ PJC ]

n. a training program in which a person is given information about physiological processes (heart rate or blood pressure) that is not normally available with the goal of gaining conscious control of them. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. a vitamin that maintains the resistance of cell and capillary walls to permeation; -- called also vitamin P and citrin. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Gr. bi`os life + -gen. ] (Biol.) Bioplasm. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Biol.) Pertaining to biogenesis. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. bi`os life + -gen + -ic. ] produced by living organisms; as, biogenic methane. [ PJC ]

n. A believer in the theory of biogenesis. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ Gr. bi`os life + &unr_;, &unr_;, birth. ] (Biol.) (a) A doctrine that the genesis or production of living organisms can take place only through the agency of living germs or parents; -- called also biogeny; -- opposed to abiogenesis. (b) Life development generally. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. the production of a chemical compound by a living organism.
Syn. -- biosynthesis. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. the production of living organisms from other living organisms; same as biogenesis{ 1 }. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. of or pertaining to biogeography. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Gr. bi`os life + E. geography. ] The branch of biology which deals with the geographical distribution of animals and plants. It includes both zoögeography and phytogeography. -- Bi`o*ge`o*graph"ic a. -- Bi`o*ge`o*graph"ic*al*ly adv. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]