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The combining form –biont is used like a suffix meaning “living in an environment.” It is occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in biology.

The form –biont ultimately comes from Greek ������û��, meaning “to live.” The Latin cognate of ������û�� is vivere, “to live,” which is the source of words such as survive, vivacity, and vivid. Find out more at our entry for each word.

What are variants of –biont?

Although –biont has no variants, it shares an origin with the combining forms bio– and –biosis. Want to learn more? Check out our �y��vlogs That Use articles for bio– and –biosis.

An example of a scientific term that features the form –biont is mycobiont, “the fungal component of a lichen.”

The form myco– means “fungus,” from Greek ��ý��ŧ��. The –biont portion of the word means “living in an environment.” Mycobiont literally translates to “living in a fungal environment.”

What are some words that use the combining form –biont?

• eobiont
• haplobiont
• phycobiont
• saprobiont
• symbiont (using the equivalent form of –biont in Greek)

What are some other forms that –biont may be commonly confused with?

• -biosis
• -ion
• -ont

The combining form sapro– means “rotten.” With this in mind, what does saprobiont mean?