Biologist
/baɪˈɒlədʒɪst/noun
A scientist who studies living organisms and the processes of life.
Did you know?The first part, Greek bios, comes from an ancient Indo-European root also linked to English quick, which once meant “alive” rather than merely “fast.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʷeyh₃-
“To live; to be alive”
Ancient Greek
Greek
bios
“Life; lifetime; way of life”
Ancient Greek
Greek
logos
“Word, account, explanation, or study”
19th Century
German
Biologie
“The scientific study of life; the term was established in German scientific usage around 1802”
19th Century
English
biology
“The study of living organisms; adopted into English in the early 1800s”
19th Century
English
biologist
“A person who studies biology; formed from biology with the agent suffix -ist”