Dictionary

symbiosis en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /sɪmbiˈoʊsɪs/ (General-American)
• /sɪmbaɪˈoʊsɪs/ (General-American)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Ancient Greek συμβίωσις (sumbíōsis, “living together”). By surface analysis, sym- + -biosis.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A relationship of mutual benefit, especially among different species.
2. (countable, uncountable) The close and long-term relationship or interaction between two or more different species.
3. (countable, especially, uncountable) The close and long-term relationship or interaction between two or more different species. ▸ The close and long-term relationship or interaction between two or more different species in which all organisms benefit; mutualism.
   • Bees and flowers display symbiosis. The bees get nectar and the flowers get pollinated.
4. (countable, uncountable) The state of people of different types, races, cultures, communities, etc., living together.
5. (countable, uncountable) The occurrence of two different or opposing things in the same time and place.
   • In this peculiar and deadly symbiosis the presence of warfare stimulates trade and the presence of trade stimulates warfare. 1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 135:

Forms

Deriveds

symbiosism · aposymbiosis · exosymbiosis · symbiotic · phylosymbiosis · chemosymbiosis · episymbiosis · presymbiosis · Symbionese · contingent symbiosis · endosymbiosis · parasymbiosis · photosymbiosis · asymbiosis · symbiosome · symbiology · ectosymbiosis

Hyponyms

parasitism · commensalism · amensalism · mutualism · commensalism · amensalism · parasitism · mutualism

Relateds

semiosis · symbiote · symbiont

Translations (43)

my ဆင်ဗိုင်အိုစစ် (relationship of mutual benefit) · kk селбесу (relationship of mutual benefit) · sl simbioza (relationship of mutual benefit) · lv simbioze (relationship of mutual benefit) · az simbioz (relationship of mutual benefit) · es simbiosis (relationship of mutual benefit) · fa همزیستی (relationship of mutual benefit) · ja 共生 (relationship of mutual benefit) · de Symbiose (relationship of mutual benefit) · kn ಸಹಜೀವನ (relationship of mutual benefit) · pt simbiose (relationship of mutual benefit) · da symbiose (relationship of mutual benefit) · ms simbiosis (relationship of mutual benefit) · sv symbios (relationship of mutual benefit) · uk симбіо́з (relationship of mutual benefit) · he סימביוזה (relationship of mutual benefit) · sq bashkëhuazi (relationship of mutual benefit) · cmn 共生 (relationship of mutual benefit) · nl symbiose (relationship of mutual benefit) · bg симбиоза (relationship of mutual benefit) · be сімбіёз (relationship of mutual benefit) · vi cộng sinh (relationship of mutual benefit) · ar تَكَافُل (relationship of mutual benefit) · tl salighayan (relationship of mutual benefit) · la symbiosis (relationship of mutual benefit) · ca simbiosi (relationship of mutual benefit) · ru симбио́з (relationship of mutual benefit) · ml സഹജീവനം (relationship of mutual benefit) · et sümbioos (relationship of mutual benefit) · hu szimbiózis (relationship of mutual benefit) · it simbiosi (relationship of mutual benefit) · hi सहजीवन (relationship of mutual benefit) · ast simbiosis (relationship of mutual benefit) · ta ஒன்றிய வாழ்வு (relationship of mutual benefit) · fr symbiose (relationship of mutual benefit) · ko 공생 (relationship of mutual benefit) · id simbiosis (relationship of mutual benefit) · cs symbióza (relationship of mutual benefit) · pl symbioza (relationship of mutual benefit) · gl simbiose (relationship of mutual benefit) · sl sožitje (relationship of mutual benefit) · fi symbioosi (relationship of mutual benefit) · ka სიმბიოზი (relationship of mutual benefit)