life

life definition - medical

life (līf)

noun pl. lives (līvz)
  1. The property or quality that distinguishes living organisms from dead organisms and inanimate matter, manifested in functions such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli or adaptation to the environment originating from within the organism.
  2. The characteristic state or condition of a living organism.
  3. Living organisms considered as a group.
  4. A living being, especially a person.

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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