symbiosis

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 23, 2023 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>symbiosis</strong> &#149; \sim-bee-OH-sis\&nbsp; &#149; <em>noun</em><br /> <p>In the field of biology, <em>symbiosis</em> refers to the relationship between two different kinds of living things that live together and depend on each other. In broader, non-scientific contexts, <em>symbiosis</em> means “a cooperative relationship,” such as between two persons or groups.</p> <p>// A perfect <em>symbiosis</em> was at work between the café’s co-owners, with Stephanie managing the day-to-day operations and Maria handling the finances. </p> <p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/symbiosis">See the entry ></a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>“‘I think our little butterfly house ventures have become ever more important in reminding people of the <em>symbiosis</em> between nature, between insects, between humans and the whole thing,’ says Stephen Fried, who’s built the enclosures across Western Europe. Butterflies and other insects play a myriad of roles in our natural systems—from pollinating plants to knocking out harmful pests.” — Sara Kiley Watson, <em>Popular Science</em>, 1 July 2022</p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p><em>Symbiosis</em> was adopted by the scientific community in the late 1800s, coming ultimately (via German) from the Greek <em>symbíōsis</em>, meaning “living together, companionship.” Of course, there are a lot of ways to live together and, accordingly, several flavors of symbiosis. When a biological symbiosis between two organisms is mutually beneficial, it is termed <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mutualism"><em>mutualism</em></a>. For example, <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oxpecker">oxpeckers</a> are birds so named because they “peck” ticks off of infested cattle and wild mammals,