symbiont
/sɪmˈbaɪənt/ · syl·m·bi·ant
noun
- An organism that lives in a symbiotic relationship; a symbiote. The coral polyp and the zooxanthellae algae are a classic example of a symbiotic relationship, where the coral provides the algae with a safe environment and the algae produce nutrients through photosynthesis.
- A person or thing that is closely associated with or dependent on another. The artist's symbiont was her muse, who inspired her to create some of her most iconic works.
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Did you know? The term 'symbiont' was first used by the German zoologist Anton de Bary in 1879 to describe the relationship between fungi and their hosts.