metabolic
AmericanUsage
What does metabolic mean? Metabolic describes something that is related to or is affected by metabolism, as in Dr. Petrov discovered the patient’s illness had metabolic causes.Your metabolism is the sum of the physical and chemical processes in your body needed to sustain life by producing energy. In humans, metabolism involves a large number of different organs and tissues. For this reason, the word metabolic is frequently used in medicine, nutrition, and other health sciences to discuss the digestive system, circulatory system, and other bodily processes.Example: While studying the birds, the researchers conducted intense studies of the animals’ metabolic rate increases during prolonged flights.
Other Word Forms
- hypermetabolic adjective
- metabolically adverb
Etymology
Origin of metabolic
First recorded in 1735–45; from Greek metabolikós “changeable,” from metabol(ḗ) “change” + -ikos -ic; metabolism
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The combination of high sugar and fat increases the chances of developing type 2 diabetes, obesity, and metabolic disease.
From Science Daily
Beyond protein buildup, the study identified broader metabolic differences between healthy and Alzheimer's brains.
From Science Daily
Need to reduce your body's inflammation and improve its metabolic health?
From BBC
"In this new era of digital health, artificial intelligence and new metabolic medication options, health care professionals increasingly have the tools to do this, but not yet the systems."
From Science Daily
Second, dinosaurs may have had somewhat lower metabolic demands than similarly sized mammals, meaning they required less food overall.
From Science Daily
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
