biomass

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noun bio·mass \ ˈbī-ō-ˌmas \

Definition of biomass

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

Recent Examples of biomass from the Web

One dry ton of woody biomass is treated to accelerate fermentation to make approximately 45.6 gallons of biofuel for airplanes.

— washington forest protection association, The Seattle Times, "Biofuel from forests lightens jetliner carbon footprint," 24 Aug. 2017
Data including pH, temperature, geographical coordinates, and biomass — the number of fish counted, weighed and measured — all figure into a stream’s classification.

— frank kummer, Philly.com, "How does Pennsylvania grade its streams? It shocks the trout," 17 Aug. 2017
In the first half of this year, the country generated 35 percent of all its power from renewable sources such as wind, solar, hydroelectric and biomass.

— david meyer, Fortune, "Online Lenders Upbeat About Turnaround, But Worries Linger," 9 Aug. 2017
The fire began with a lightning strike to a tree in the Whitewater Creek area that had been smoldering since June, said Marcus Kauffman, a biomass resource specialist at the Oregon Department of Forestry.

— USA TODAY, "Wildfire closes Oregon campsites, hiking for eclipse," 8 Aug. 2017
In 2010, Kurt Christensen started the Agrienergy Producers Association, a co-op of 25 eastern Oregon farmers who grow varieties of sorghum that grow taller than corn and produce high yields, ideal for biomass.

— zach kyle, idahostatesman, "This $94 million plant would create 75 Treasure Valley jobs. If it’s actually built.," 20 July 2017
Wood products naturally store carbon Healthy, growing trees remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, store carbon in tree biomass and release oxygen back into the air.

— washington forest protection association, The Seattle Times, "Sustainable forestry: A real solution for clean air," 17 July 2017
The tissue is then grown in vitro for a year, and afterwards grown in a soilless mineral solution to gain more biomass.

— matthew sedacca, The Atlantic, "Resurrecting Ancient Wines That Can Survive Climate Change," 17 July 2017
Ice, ice baby Closer to home, the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI), scheduled to launch in 2019, will use laser technology to create 3D maps of Earth's forests and calculate their biomass, Ramos-Izquierdo said.

— mindy weisberger, Fox News, "Why scientists are fired up about futuristic space lasers," 27 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'biomass.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of biomass

1931

Other Ecology Terms

Malthusian, anthropogenic, carbon footprint, crepuscular, niche, sere, symbiosis, taiga, tundra

Medical Dictionary

biomass

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noun bio·mass \ -ˌmas \

medical Definition of biomass

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

Learn More about biomass

See words that rhyme with biomass Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about biomass

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biomass

Definition of biomass

Recent Examples of biomass from the Web

First Known Use of biomass

Other Ecology Terms

Medical Dictionary

biomass

medical Definition of biomass

Learn More about biomass

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