Agency Dictionary

Biome

nounPronunciation: /ˈbaɪ.oʊm/

In Portuguese: Bioma

What does “Biome” mean?

A large naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat defined by climate and soil.

Etymology

Formed from bio-, the combining form of Greek bios ("life"), and the ending -ome, from Greek -oma, which forms nouns naming a mass or a whole. The term was created in American ecology in the early 20th century for a large community of plants and animals shaped by a common climate. The same ending appears in the later word microbiome.

Often confused with

ecosystem: An ecosystem is any community of living things together with its physical environment, at any scale; a biome is a very large region defined by its climate and its typical vegetation, and it contains many ecosystems.

Word family

microbiome
biota
biotic

Source editions

Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.

Research.1 - PermeabilityAugust 29, 2026Read the edition

Words of the same theme

Equationnoun: A complex statement or problem involving balancing multiple interdependent factors, variables, or meanings.
Astronautnoun: A person trained and equipped to travel and operate beyond the atmosphere of the Earth. In space exploration, astronauts perform scientific experiments and navigate spacecraft under extreme conditions.
Decompositionnoun: The natural biological or chemical process of decay, breakdown, or disintegration into constituent elements.
eppur si muoveother: An Italian phrase meaning and yet it moves. It is used to affirm that a fact remains true no matter who denies it.
Pollinationnoun: The transfer of pollen grains from the male anther to the female stigma of a flower, enabling fertilization and seed production.
Regenerativeadjective: Relating to or capable of renewing, restoring, or reforming biological vitality and structural equilibrium.
syntheticadjective: Produced by artificial or chemical synthesis rather than originating from natural or organic processes.
Anesthetizeverb: To administer an anesthetic to eliminate physical feeling, or figuratively to numb emotional or critical awareness.
biodegradableadjective: Capable of being decomposed and broken down harmlessly into natural organic matter by microorganisms.
caffeinenoun: A naturally occurring central nervous system stimulant found in coffee beans, tea leaves, and cacao pods.
cannabisnoun: A genus of flowering plants cultivated for industrial fiber, wellness oils, and medicinal applications.
catalystnoun: A substance or factor that accelerates a chemical reaction or stimulates widespread systemic change without being consumed.

Also from these editions: terms

Affectnoun: An expressed or experienced emotion, feeling, or visceral response to a stimulus in psychology and philosophy.
Cognitionnoun: The mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.
Epistemologicaladjective: Relating to epistemology, the theory of knowledge, its methods, validity, and scope.
Inferentialadjective: Characterized by or derived from deduction, reasoning from premises, or drawing conclusions from evidence.
Ontologynoun: The branch of metaphysics dealing with the nature of being, reality, and what kinds of entities can be said to exist.
Permeabilitynoun: The state or quality of being permeable, allowing liquids, gases, or symbolic influences to pass through.
Phenomenologynoun: The philosophical approach that concentrates on the study of conscious experience and appearances as experienced from the first-person point of view.
Reciprocitynoun: The practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit; mutual dependence or action and reaction between entities.
Reductionismnoun: The practice of analyzing and describing a complex phenomenon in terms of its simple or fundamental constituents.
Somaticadjective: Relating to the physical body, especially as distinct from the mind, psyche, or purely intellectual faculties.
Venomousadjective: Capable of injecting venom through a bite or sting; highly toxic or characterized by malice.