Bios

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A fundamental layer of software responsible for system startup and hardware configuration is designated, while also indicating the complete genetic material found within organisms; this term may also refer to a detailed account of a person’s life and achievements in professional environments
2. Firmware embedded on a computer's motherboard that initializes hardware during startup ; the full set of genes within an organism ; a brief written profile highlighting someone's career and accomplishments
3. The low-level software that controls startup processes in computing devices ; the entirety of hereditary material in a biological entity ; a concise description of an individual's background and key achievements

Etymology: The Greek noun "bíos" meant "life" in the broad sense of a lifetime and, crucially, "the good life" as a way of living worth having. Ancient Greek drew a sharp line between "bíos" and "zōḗ", which referred to bare biological life, so "bíos" was about life as lived and shaped by a person. English "bios" is a modern coinage built on that Greek word, and its three meanings, firmware, the genome, and a short career profile, share the notion of a compact, essential summary of what something is. The word's Greek ancestry also links it to the Sanskrit "jiva", meaning living being, and to the English "quick", as doublets descended from the same root.