biotech
n.the use of living things like bacteria or cells to make products, such as new medicines or better crops.
n.the application of biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof to develop or create products and technologies. Often refers specifically to the industry involving genetic engineering and molecular biology.
“She works for a biotech company that develops new vaccines.”
“Advances in biotech have allowed scientists to create crops that can survive in very dry soil.”
“The rapid growth of the biotech sector has sparked intense ethical debates regarding the patenting of genetic sequences and the long-term ecological impact of modified organisms.”
Commonly used as a modifier before other nouns, such as in 'biotech firm' or 'biotech industry'.
Clipping of biotechnology. Analyzable as bio- (“biological”) + tech (“technology”) or as a clipped compound, bio(logical) tech(nology).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.