biomass

noun

bio·​mass ˈbī-ō-ˌmas 

1

: the amount of living matter (as in a unit area or volume of habitat)

2

: plant materials and animal waste used especially as a source of fuel

Examples of biomass in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Currently, more than 80% of India’s energy needs are met by coal, oil and solid biomass, according to the International Energy Agency. —Ganesh Rao, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2024

Nuclear supplied 6 percent, and solar, wind, hydro, and biomass together nearly 10 percent, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs. —Isabel Hilton, WIRED, 5 Oct. 2024

New Hampshire currently generates about 16 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, mostly hydro and biomass, a type of energy that comes from burning wood and other organic matter. —Nadja Popovich, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2024

Landsat, the longest-running satellite program dedicated to Earth observation, helps monitor environmental changes, urban growth, drought, wildfires, biomass changes and a host of other natural and man-made trends on a global scale. —Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1931, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

biomass

noun

bio·​mass

ˈbī-ō-ˌmas

1

: the amount of living matter (as in an area or volume of habitat)

2

: plant materials and animal waste used especially as a source of fuel

Medical Definition

biomass

noun

bio·​mass -ˌmas 

: the amount of living matter (as in a unit area or volume of habitat)