Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word symbiotic. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word symbiotic, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say symbiotic in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word symbiotic you have here. The definition of the word symbiotic will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofsymbiotic, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
A lichen is a fungus with symbiotic algae among its cells.
2014 April 5, “Quite interesting: A quietly intriguing column from the brains behind QI, the BBC quiz show. This week; QI orchids you not”, in The Daily Telegraph (Weekend), page W22:
Orchids rely on fungi to reproduce. Their tiny seeds don't have any on-board nutrients (like beans and apples) and will not germinate until they are infected by a symbiotic fungus which supplies them with food. Known as a protocorm, this tiny orchid-fungus ball grows, turns green and eventually starts to photosynthesise.
Although the biologic meaning of symbiotic strictly refers to "living together", regardless of the nature of the relationship, in casual speech the word typically implies a beneficial relationship.