Meaning & use
biomass
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountable
Plant or animal material used as fuel, or the total amount of living material in an area.
Grammar: Uncountable noun: biomass, not biomasses.
Patterns
- biomass as fuel
- biomass energy
- the biomass of something
- convert biomass into something
The power plant burns biomass such as wood chips and crop waste.
Scientists measured the biomass of fish in the lake to check its health.
Many countries are investing in biomass to reduce their use of coal.
Common combinations
- biomass energy
- Biomass energy comes from burning plants and organic waste.
- biomass fuel
- The village uses biomass fuel for cooking and heating.
- biomass power plant
- A new biomass power plant will supply electricity to the town.
- forest biomass
- Forest biomass includes all the trees, shrubs, and dead wood in an area.
- produce biomass
- Algae can produce biomass quickly in warm water.
Synonyms and how they differ
- organic matter
- A broader term for any material from living things, not only when used as fuel or measured as energy.
- biofuel
- A fuel made from biomass; biofuel is the processed product, while biomass is the raw material.
Word family
- biomass noun
- This word itself; no common derived forms.
Commonly confused: biomass or biodiversity?
biomass vs biodiversity
Biodiversity means the variety of living things, while biomass means the total amount of living material.
Practice
The country uses ______ from wood and crops to generate electricity.
Choose one answer.
'Biomass' is plant material used as fuel; 'biodiversity' refers to the variety of species, not a fuel source.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “biomass”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.