plural BIOSes
computers
: a software element of a computer operating system that allows the CPU to communicate with connected input and output devices (such as a keyboard or a monitor)
Your PC contains several BIOSes—the video BIOS that interfaces your CPU and video card, for example—but the most fundamental is the system BIOS.Neil Randall

Examples of BIOS in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In one case, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt replied that, as a matter of policy, officials would not engage with reporters who list pronouns in their email bios. Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025 And on social media, influencers — many with medical or scientific degrees in their bios — claim that most people are woefully deficient. Alice Callahan, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025 Fans can find links to redeem the tots on Ore-Ida’s social media channel bios. Moná Thomas, People.com, 26 Mar. 2025 But behind the LinkedIn milestones and polished bios, many professionals in this phase quietly navigate career pivots, burnout and a desire for meaning, not just momentum. Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025 Other sites that showed La Guardia as a Grandview police chaplain also were taken down after the allegations surfaced — including the Grandview Police Department’s chaplain site, which had photos and bios of its chaplains, with La Guardia described as a head chaplain. Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2025 The meme accounts that tweet the ads usually include the Stake handle in their bios. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2025 The link isn’t working on bios, either. Jibin Joseph, PCMAG, 17 Feb. 2025 According to their bios, Johnson was known for her joy, creativity and generosity, and Rivera remained a fierce advocate for trans rights through the following decades, creating the Sylvia Rivera Law Project. Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Basic Input/Output System

First Known Use

1980, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of BIOS was in 1980

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“BIOS.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/BIOS. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.

Medical Definition

bios

noun
bi·​os ˈbī-ˌäs How to pronounce bios (audio)
: a mixture of vitamins of the B complex essential for the optimum growth of some yeasts
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