Biotechnology
/ˌbaɪ.oʊˌtɛkˈnɒl.ə.dʒi/noun
The use of living organisms, cells, or biological systems to develop products or processes.
Did you know?The word is built from Greek bios (“life”) and tekhnē (“art, craft”) plus -logia (“study”), so even its name quietly frames biology as something humans can engineer, almost like a ritual craft.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
gʷeih₃-
“to live”
Ancient Greek
Greek
bíos
“life”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
teks-
“to weave, fabricate”
Ancient Greek
Greek
tékhnē
“art, craft, skill”
Ancient Greek
Greek
-logía
“study, account, discourse”
Late 19th Century
English
biotechnology
“the application of biological science to practical industrial or agricultural use”
Explore more surprising origins