Biomass
/ˈbaɪ.oʊˌmæs/noun
The total mass of living matter in a given area or volume.
Did you know?Biomass is a modern scientific coinage, but its roots are ancient: the first half comes from Greek *bios* (“life”), the same root behind biology and biography, while the second half comes from Latin *massa* (“lump, dough, heap”).
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
bíos
“life”
Classical Latin
Latin
massa
“lump, dough, heap”
18th–19th Century
Scientific Latin / European
bio-
“combining form meaning life”
18th–19th Century
Scientific Latin / European
mass
“a large body, quantity, or lump of matter”
20th Century
English
biomass
“the total mass of living material in a given area”