biodegrade

American  

[bahy-oh-di-greyd] / ˌbaɪ oʊ dɪˈgreɪd /

verb (used without object)

biodegraded, biodegrading

1. to decay and become absorbed by the environment.

   toys that will biodegrade when they're discarded.

---

Other Word Forms

• biodegradation noun

Etymology

Origin of biodegrade

First recorded in 1970–75; back formation from biodegradable

Example Sentences

Wie’s group is developing versions of these robots that biodegrade after use, eliminating the need for surgical removal, and coatings that make the robots compatible with human tissue.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 1, 2025

The Environment for Development, a global research network, estimates that around a third are unusable items that end up in landfills -- mostly made from plastic-based materials like nylon and polyester that does not biodegrade.

From Barron's • Oct. 13, 2025

One of the most common compounds is a polyester known as PLA, short for polylactic acid, which will biodegrade in an industrial compost setting.

From New York Times • May 20, 2024

But many discarded plastics eventually find their way into the sea, and unfortunately PBS does not biodegrade well in that environment.

From Science Daily • Oct. 16, 2023

The vast majority of these products cannot be recycled and can take hundreds of years to biodegrade in landfill sites.

From BBC • Sep. 30, 2023