biodegradable
biodegradable Lexical Profile
biodegradable Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Capable of being decomposed by bacteria, fungi, or other living organisms and thereby avoiding environmental pollution.
"The grocery store switched from conventional plastic bags to biodegradable packaging made from plant starch."
• noun
A substance or object capable of being decomposed naturally by bacteria or other living organisms (usually used in the plural).
"The municipal waste facility separates biodegradables from plastics and metals before processing."
Word Nuance & Usage
While often used interchangeably in everyday speech, 'biodegradable' and 'compostable' are not identical: all compostable materials are biodegradable, but not all biodegradable materials break down rapidly enough or leave behind non-toxic, nutrient-rich soil required for composting.
• Rhymes for biodegradable
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the late 1950s by combining the Greek prefix 'bio-' (meaning life) with 'degradable', initially used in environmental chemistry to describe synthetic detergents capable of being broken down by bacteria in sewage treatment.