What does "biopunk" mean?
A hobbyist who experiments with DNA and other aspects of genetics.
Biopunk
noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A hobbyist who experiments with DNA and other aspects of genetics.
- Grammar: biopunk is listed as noun.
- Usage evidence: Using equipment ordered from online biopunk shops, he is trying to manipulate the genome of a common (but not necessarily harmless) bacterium, Serratia marcescens.
How to use "biopunk"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "biopunk" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
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- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
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- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "biopunk" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
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Final meaning check
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 A hobbyist who experiments with DNA and other aspects of genetics. countable
"Using equipment ordered from online biopunk shops, he is trying to manipulate the genome of a common (but not necessarily harmless) bacterium, Serratia marcescens."
- 2 A technoprogressive movement advocating open access to genetic information. uncountable
"[I]t's the biopunk revolution. Biopunks are the visionaries and biotech wizards whose imaginations were set on fire by the knowledge that scientists had finally sequenced the human genome last year. Biopunks get off on creative genetic engineering, RNA research, cloning, and protein synthesis. Biopunks hack genomic data, lining up human genomes next to mouse genomes to find out what the two species have in common and what they don't (surprise: they have way more in common than you could possibly ever imagine)."
- 3 A science fiction genre that focuses on biotechnology and subversives. uncountable
"In the early nineties there grew up biopunk, a derivative sub-genre building not on IT but on biology, the other dominating scientific field of the end of the twentieth century. Individuals are enhanced not by mechanical means, but by genetic manipulation of their very chromosomes."
Example
"Using equipment ordered from online biopunk shops, he is trying to manipulate the genome of a common (but not necessarily harmless) bacterium, Serratia marcescens."
Common questions
How do you use "biopunk" in a sentence?
Using equipment ordered from online biopunk shops, he is trying to manipulate the genome of a common (but not necessarily harmless) bacterium, Serratia marcescens.
Etymology
From bio- + -punk, apparently on the model of cyberpunk. Compare biotech.