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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.

For many years, biology textbooks have described protein movement inside cells as a largely random process called diffusion.

From Science Daily

One of biology's biggest questions is how Earth became home to such a vast range of plants and animals.

From Science Daily

It also opens new doors in nanophotonics, a field focused on controlling light at very small scales for uses in electronics, encryption, and biology.

From Science Daily

"We respectfully emphasise that womanhood and female biology are not uniform," they claimed.

From BBC

For biology, chemistry, or environmental science, he warned that finding a decent job often required studying all the way to a doctorate.

From BBC