consortismn.
/ˈkɒnsɔːtɪz(ə)m/ Biology.
The practice of being consorts; in Biology the association or union during life of two plants, or animals, or of a plant and animal, each of which is dependent on the other for its existence or well-being. In the case of animals more commonly called symbiosis n.
ΚΠ
1880 Jrnl. Linn. Soc. 18 148 This process tends to explain the nature of the consortism of the fungal and algal elements in the autonomous lichen.
1885 Encycl. Brit. XVIII. 266 [article Parasitism] The fungi which are concerned in the constitution of lichens maintain with the algal components throughout life relations of consortism.
1885 Encycl. Brit. XVIII. 268 Symbiosis..the consortism of organisms in such fashion that mutual services are rendered sufficient to make the alliance profitable..to the whole community of organisms.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1893; most recently modified version published online June 2018).
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n.1880