biodegradable
adjective
bio·de·grad·able
| \ ˌbī-(ˌ)ō-di-ˈgrā-də-bəl
\
\
Definition of biodegradable
: capable of being broken down especially into innocuous products by the action of living things (such as microorganisms)
biodegradable trash bags
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Other Words from biodegradable
biodegradability
\ ˌbī-(ˌ)ō-di-ˌgrā-də-ˈbi-lə-tē
\
noun
\
noun
biodegradable
noun,
plural biodegradables
"… we would never discourage the development of technologies that promote recyclables or biodegradables. [=biodegradable materials]"
— Ruth Lampi
biodegradation
\ ˌbī-(ˌ)ō-ˌde-grə-ˈdā-shən
\
noun
\
noun
biodegrade
\ ˌbī-(ˌ)ō-di-ˈgrād
\
verb
\
verb
Examples of biodegradable in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Annapolis city spokeswoman Mitchelle Stephenson says restaurants and vendors have been alerted twice this year to switch to paper, cardboard or another biodegradable material. — USA TODAY, "Cat burglar, prison bats, USS Arizona Memorial: News from around our 50 states," 4 Sep. 2019 When the biodegradable scaffold disappears, what’s left is healthy hair growing as normal. — Tribune News Service, oregonlive, "Baldness cure on the way? Startup aims to make new hair from stem cells," 28 June 2019 Microplastics, potentially toxic and not biodegradable, have become a ubiquitous contaminant in the Pacific Ocean and seas around the world, scientists say. — Los Angeles Times, "Microplastics are found in Lake Tahoe’s waters for first time ever," 26 Aug. 2019 Nearly every product sold in the store is biodegradable, and loose ingredients can be stored in customers’ own containers. — Anne Nickoloff, cleveland.com, "New Canton shop eliminates trash that comes with shopping," 21 Aug. 2019 Although cigarettes themselves are biodegradable, the filers are not and could take years to breakdown in the environment, even accumulating at the bottom of the deep sea. — Vanna Quiroz, CBS News, "Experts say cigarette butts — not plastic straws — are largest human-caused pollutant," 20 July 2019 The company spent five years in a development stage working with engineers, scientists and yoga teachers to produce non-PVC, naturally sourced sustainable rubber mats that provide grip and are biodegradable, according to Armitage. — Mary Billard, Los Angeles Times, "Is your yoga mat bad for the environment?," 19 July 2019 Everything from the plates and cups to the cutlery and bags is biodegradable. — Mark Kurlyandchik, Detroit Free Press, "Our restaurant critic's 12 favorite metro Detroit dishes from the first half of 2019," 28 June 2019 The restaurant still uses plastic straws but plans to switch to biodegradable straws soon. — Melissa Chen, The Mercury News, "Palo Alto tells restaurants to toss disposable foodware; restrictions on straws, cups and utensils may spread to other Bay Area cities," 23 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'biodegradable.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for biodegradable
biodegradable
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of biodegradable
: capable of being slowly destroyed and broken down into very small parts by natural processes, bacteria, etc.
See the full definition for biodegradable in the English Language Learners Dictionary
biodegradable
adjective
bio·de·grad·able
| \ ˌbī-ō-di-ˈgrā-də-bəl
\
\
Kids Definition of biodegradable
: possible to break down into very small harmless parts by the action of living things (as bacteria)
biodegradable
adjective
bio·de·grad·able
| \ -di-ˈgrād-ə-bəl
\
\
Medical Definition of biodegradable
: capable of being broken down especially into innocuous products by the action of living things (as microorganisms)
Other Words from biodegradable
biodegradability
\ -ˌgrād-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē
\
noun,
plural biodegradabilities
\
noun,
plural biodegradabilities
biodegradation
\ -ˌdeg-rə-ˈdā-shən
\
noun
\
noun
biodegrade
\ -di-ˈgrād
\
verb
biodegraded;
biodegrading
\
verb
biodegraded;
biodegrading