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

More than 30 percent of the biomass in such savannas gets consumed by termites hollowing out trunks from within, according to research by Zanne, a co-author of an article on deadwood and the carbon cycle in the 2024 Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics. —Katarina Zimmer, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025

That's 15,000 tons of insect biomass—just in one corner of China! —Meredith Wolf Schizer, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025

Vaulted Deep closed a $32.3 million Series A round to expand its biomass carbon removal and storage operations. —Phil De Luna, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024

Powered entirely on biomass, the facility is also equipped with a rainwater capture and reserve system that improves its water footprint. —Sj Studio, Sourcing Journal, 19 Dec. 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)