bioaccumulate
Britishverb
Other Word Forms
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Small fish including anchovies and sardines ingest the toxic algae, which then bioaccumulate in larger marine mammals that eat the fish.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2025
“It’s really concerning when you think about flame retardants, because they’re known to bioaccumulate in our bodies,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 18, 2024
Toxic dyes can also bioaccumulate in the fishes' fatty tissue, presenting health risks to humans and animals throughout the food chain.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 26, 2023
The chemicals, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, bioaccumulate in the environment — similar to DDT in the 1950s and 60s — building in concentration as they move up the food chain.
From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2021
These plastic fibers have the potential to bioaccumulate, concentrating toxins in the bodies of larger animals, higher up the food chain.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 20, 2016
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
