metabolism
Americannoun
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metabolisms
plural
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Biology, Physiology. the sum of the physical and chemical processes in an organism by which its material substance is produced, maintained, and destroyed, and by which energy is made available.
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any basic process of organic functioning or operating.
changes in the country's economic metabolism.
noun
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the sum total of the chemical processes that occur in living organisms, resulting in growth, production of energy, elimination of waste material, etc See anabolism basal metabolism catabolism
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the sum total of the chemical processes affecting a particular substance in the body
carbohydrate metabolism
iodine metabolism
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The chemical processes by which cells produce the substances and energy needed to sustain life. As part of metabolism, organic compounds are broken down to provide heat and energy in the process called catabolism. Simpler molecules are also used to build more complex compounds like proteins for growth and repair of tissues as part of anabolism. Many metabolic processes are brought about by the action of enzymes. The overall speed at which an organism carries out its metabolic processes is termed its metabolic rate (or, when the organism is at rest, its basal metabolic rate). Birds, for example, have a high metabolic rate, since they are warm-blooded, and their usual method of locomotion, flight, requires large amounts of energy. Accordingly, birds usually need large amounts of high-quality, energy-rich foods such as seeds or meat, which they must eat frequently.
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See more at cellular respiration
Discover More
In humans, metabolism is related to the intake and use of food; persons with a high metabolism can eat more without gaining weight.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of metabolism
First recorded in 1875–80; from Greek metabol(ḗ) “change” (from meta- meta- + bolḗ “a throw”) + -ism
Compare meaning
How does metabolism compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Your metabolism is the result of all the processes in your body working together to create the energy that keeps you going. Your metabolism is the rate at which your body's many processes function, and it can be low, high, or somewhere in the middle. When you're younger, your high metabolism makes it easy to lose weight but as you get older your metabolism slows down and you might put on a few pounds. Exercising speeds up your metabolism. This word also refers to the sudden transformation of a larva into an adult in some animals.
Vocabulary lists containing metabolism
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Power Suffix: -ism
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"Remarks at the Dedication of the Aerospace Medical Health Center," Vocabulary from the speech
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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.
See Examples For:
The gut microbiome includes the vast community of bacteria and other microorganisms that live in the digestive tract and can influence digestion, metabolism, immune function, and other aspects of health.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026
More and more, diners are leaning into “proteinmaxxing,” the viral health trend that promotes increased protein intake with the goal of boosting metabolism, decreasing appetite and increasing muscle mass.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
This can boost our metabolism, which may aid in long-term weight maintenance.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026
One is normal and functional, while the other has been inactivated by cellular metabolism.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
They all made fairly strong assumptions about what Martian metabolism had to be like.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
The higher temperatures promote algae growth by allowing their metabolisms to shift into overdrive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2026
While mice and humans have different metabolisms, these findings may point to new therapeutic approaches or diet recommendations to help control cancer growth.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2025
The authors also contest Herculano-Houzel's assumption that one can predict different dinosaurs' metabolisms, aging rates and other life history traits based on the existing data.
From Salon ● May 4, 2024
"We're pretty sure that sulfur played an important role in really early metabolisms."
From Science Daily ● Nov. 16, 2023
By then, our metabolisms were high enough to keep us conscious and alive.
From Perfect Control by Richard Stockham
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.
