abioseston

noun

abio·​ses·​ton ¦ā-ˌbī-ō-¦se-ˌstän 

ecology

: the nonliving constituents of seston : tripton

Since many organisms discriminate between particles only on the basis of size, they may also ingest considerable quantities of suspended inorganic particles, or abioseston.

—J. H. R. Gee, in Fundamentals of Aquatic Ecology, 1991

compare bioseston

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Abioseston, from a- a- entry 2 + bio- bio- + Seston seston

First Known Use

1963, in the meaning defined above

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!