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behavior

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Behavior
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be⋅hav⋅ior

  [bi-heyv-yer]
Use behavior in a Sentence
–noun
1. manner of behaving or acting.
2. Psychology, Animal Behavior.
a. observable activity in a human or animal.
b. the aggregate of responses to internal and external stimuli.
c. a stereotyped, species-specific activity, as a courtship dance or startle reflex.
3. Often, behaviors. a behavior pattern.
4. the action or reaction of any material under given circumstances: the behavior of tin under heat.
Also, especially British, behaviour.

Origin:
1375–1425; behave + -ior (on model of havior, var. of havor < MF (h)avoir ≪ L habēre to have); r. late ME behavoure, behaver. See behave, -or 1

Related forms:
be⋅hav⋅ior⋅al, adjective
be⋅hav⋅ior⋅al⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. demeanor, manners; bearing, carriage. Behavior, conduct, deportment, comportment refer to one's actions before or toward others, esp. on a particular occasion. Behavior refers to actions usually measured by commonly accepted standards: His behavior at the party was childish. Conduct refers to actions viewed collectively, esp. as measured by an ideal standard: Conduct is judged according to principles of ethics. Deportment is behavior related to a code or to an arbitrary standard: Deportment is guided by rules of etiquette. The teacher gave Susan a mark of B in deportment. Comportment is behavior as viewed from the standpoint of one's management of one's own actions: His comportment was marked by a quiet assurance.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Behavior
We're Not Perfect, We're Parents. Advice, Tips, Recipes & More!
www.ParentsConnect.com
Behavior
Behavioral Growth & Development In Babies & How To Disclipline A Baby
www.Parents.com
be·hav·ior   (bĭ-hāv'yər)   
n.  

  1. The manner in which one behaves.

    1. The actions or reactions of a person or animal in response to external or internal stimuli.

    2. One of these actions or reactions: "a hormone . . . known to directly control sex-specific reproductive and parenting behaviors in a wide variety of vertebrates" (Thomas Maugh II).

  3. The manner in which something functions or operates: the faulty behavior of a computer program; the behavior of dying stars.


[Middle English behavour, from behaven, to behave (on the model of havour, behavior, from Old French avoir, from avoir, to have); see behave.]
be·hav'ior·al adj., be·hav'ior·al·ly adv.
Synonyms: These nouns all pertain to a person's actions as they constitute a means of evaluation by others. Behavior is the most general: The children were on their best behavior.
Conduct applies to actions considered from the standpoint of morality and ethics: "Life, not the parson, teaches conduct" (Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.)
Deportment more narrowly pertains to actions measured by a prevailing code of social behavior: "[Old Mr. Turveydrop] was not like anything in the world but a model of Deportment" (Charles Dickens).
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: be·hav·ior
Variant: or chiefly British be·hav·iour /bi-'hA-vy&r/
Function: noun
1 : themanner of conducting oneself
2 a : anything that an organism does involving action and response to stimulation b : the response of an individual, group, or speciesto its environment —be·hav·ior·al or chiefly British be·hav·iour·al /-vy&-r&l/ adjective —be·hav·ior·al·ly or chiefly British be·hav·iour·al·ly /-r&-lE/ adverb
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

behavior be·hav·ior (bĭ-hāv'yər)
n.

  1. The actions or reactions of persons or things in response to external or internal stimuli.

  2. The manner in which one behaves.

be·hav'ior·al adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Idioms & Phrases

behavior

see on one's best behavior.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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