Biologists constantly debate specific terms in biology, but rarely discuss general strategies for resolving these debates. Most vexed biological terms are metaphors; so thinking about metaphors is a good starting point for devising such strategies.

Metaphors are not just colorful ways of explaining science to the public. They are key tools that are vital to science. As such, they need to be deployed with awareness of their strengths and weaknesses.

Metaphors inspire research and unite researchers of diverse disciplines, but their dark side is that they can hide important biology, their vagueness can lead to misunderstanding, and it is easy to regard them as real rather than metaphorical.

Recognizing metaphors is a key step for researchers to figure out how to use biological terminology to its greatest effect, driving research and inspiring collaborative action.