bioengineered
|bi-o-en-gineered|
🇺🇸
/ˌbaɪ.oʊ.ɛn.dʒɪˈnɪrd/
🇬🇧
/ˌbaɪ.əʊ.ɛn.dʒɪˈnɪəd/
(bioengineer)
life altered by design
Etymology
'bioengineered' originates from a combination of the Greek prefix 'bio-' (from Greek 'bios') and the English word 'engineer' (itself from Old French 'enginier' and Latin roots); 'bio-' meant 'life' and the root of 'engineer' related to 'device/contrivance' and the action 'to contrive or devise'.
'engineer' changed from Old French 'enginier' (related to 'engin' meaning 'device, skill') and Latin 'ingenium' (meaning 'natural talent, native ability') through Middle English 'engineer' to the modern English 'engineer'. The combining form 'bio-' comes from Greek 'bios' ('life') and entered scientific/technical English via New Latin and modern compounding to form words like 'bioengineer' and then 'bioengineered'.
Initially, elements meant 'life' for 'bio-' and 'device/contrivance' or 'natural ability' for forms related to 'engineer'; over time 'engineer' shifted toward the professional sense 'one who applies technical skill to design or build', and 'bioengineered' came to mean specifically 'altered or produced by biological engineering techniques', especially genetic modification.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
past tense or past participle form of 'bioengineer' — to alter or design biological systems or organisms by applying engineering principles.
They bioengineered bacteria to produce a useful enzyme.
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Adjective 1
modified using biological or genetic engineering techniques; often used of organisms, foods, or products that have been altered at the genetic or cellular level.
The company released a line of bioengineered crops that are resistant to drought.
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Last updated: 2025/12/15 09:30