Biome
/ˈbaɪoʊm/
nounIntermediate📊CommonGeneral
1 meaning2 questions
Definitions
1
A major ecological community characterized by its dominant plant life and climate.
/ˈbaɪoʊm/
nounneutralIntermediate
General
A large naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat.
The tundra biome is characterized by permafrost and low-growing vegetation.
💡 Simply: A big area with specific plants and animals, determined by its weather.
More Examples
2
Scientists study biomes to understand the relationships between organisms and their environments.
How It's Used
Ecology
"The Amazon rainforest is a diverse biome."
Environmental Science
"Climate change is affecting many biomes around the world."
From "bio-" (life) + "-ome" (a collective of something), coined in the early 20th century.
The term 'biome' gained popularity in the mid-20th century with the rise of ecological studies.
Memory tip
Think 'bio' for life and '-ome' for place; a life-place.
Word Origin
Original meaning
""bio" (life) and "-oma" (a mass or collection)"
Base: biome
diverse biometropical biometemperate biomebiome distribution
Common misspellings
biombyome
Practice
Usage
20%Spoken
80%Written