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bioprospecting

British

/ ˌbaɪəʊˈprɒspɛktɪŋ /

noun

searching for plant or animal species for use as a source of commercially exploitable products, such as medicinal drugs

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

This time they include "megafauna" specialist Sekar, researching whales and dolphins, and genetics and molecular biotechnology expert Husna Nugrahapraja, who is "bioprospecting" compounds for new medicines.

From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026

From bioprospecting beneficial microbes, he was now forced to consider less cheery possibilities.

From Salon • Apr. 24, 2025

As Nectresse hit the market, the company received a bioprospecting permit from the South African government, giving it the right to exploit the molomo monate plants that grow on rocky slopes in northeast South Africa.

From New York Times • Jan. 1, 2014

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023