biodegrade

[ bahy-oh-di-greyd ]

verb (used without object)

, bi·o·de·grad·ed, bi·o·de·grad·ing.

1. to decay and become absorbed by the environment:

   toys that will biodegrade when they're discarded.

Other Words From

• bi·o·deg·ra·da·tion [bahy-oh-deg-r, uh, -, dey, -sh, uh, n], noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of biodegrade¹

First recorded in 1970–75; back formation from biodegradable