plant materials and animal waste used as fuel
"The power plant generates electricity by burning biomass, such as wood chips and manure, to produce heat."
the total mass of living matter in a given unit area
"The biomass of that forest is calculated by weighing all the trees and plants within each hectare."
The total mass of a living thing or part thereof, such as a cell.
"The scientist measured the biomass of the bacterial culture to determine its growth rate."
In plain English: Biomass is organic material from plants and animals that can be burned to create energy.
"The power plant generates electricity by burning biomass from local forests and agricultural waste."
Usage: Biomass refers to the organic material derived from plants and animals that is used as fuel rather than just measuring an organism's weight in biology. It encompasses waste products like wood chips and agricultural residues which can be burned for energy production.
The word biomass combines the prefix bio-, meaning organic life, with mass to refer to living matter. It entered English as a direct construction of these two elements to describe biological material used for energy or fuel.