metabolism
Americannoun
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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
The Things They Carried
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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 company reported a 15% increase in revenue from oncology products at constant currency, offsetting declines in its cardiovascular, renal and metabolism, and infectious diseases franchises.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
MOTS-C: People use this peptide, which is composed of 16 amino acids, to lose weight and better manage weight-related concerns like insulin resistance, osteoporosis and metabolism.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
They are naturally occuring in the body, signaling molecules that dictate major physiological processes like tissue repair or metabolism.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
The speed at which this happens varies according to genetics, metabolism, age, and previous caffeine use.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026
“She can’t help her metabolism, Simon,” Abby says.
From "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli
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
Smaller animals also typically require more nutrient-dense food than larger ones, because they have faster metabolisms and consume more energy per unit of body mass.
From Salon ● Dec. 30, 2024
They can't support animal life, and are populated primarily by microbes and some very specialized fungi with different metabolisms than creatures in oxygen-rich environments.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 16, 2024
It was decided that their metabolisms must be lowered and that they must live for the most part in their bunks.
From Perfect Control by Stockham, Richard
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.
