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body mass index

[ bod-ee mas-in-deks ]
/ ˈbɒd i ˈmæs ˌɪn dɛks /

noun

an index for assessing overweight and underweight, obtained by dividing body weight in kilograms by height in meters squared: a measure of 25 or more is considered overweight.

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Also called BMI [bee-em-ahy] /ˈbiˈɛmˈaɪ/ .

Origin of body mass index

First recorded in 1955–60

Words nearby body mass index

body horror, body image, body language, body-line, body louse, body mass index, body mechanics, body mike, body modification, Body of Christ, body of stomach
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for body mass index

body mass index

noun

an index used to indicate whether a person is over- or underweight. It is obtained by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by the square of their height in metres. An index of 20–25 is normalAbbreviation: BMI
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

Medical definitions for body mass index

body mass index

n.

A measurement of the relative percentages of fat and muscle mass in the human body, in which mass in kilograms is divided by height in meters squared and the result used as an index of obesity.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for body mass index

body mass index
[ bŏd′ē ]

A measurement of the relative percentages of fat and muscle mass in the human body, in which weight in kilograms is divided by height in meters squared. The result is used as an index of obesity.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.