metabolism

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: me=tab=o=lism

CIDE DICTIONARY

metabolism, n. 

•  The act or process, by which living tissues or cells take up and convert into their own proper substance the nutritive material brought to them by the blood, or by which they transform their cell protoplasm into simpler substances, which are fitted either for excretion or for some special purpose, as in the manufacture of the digestive enzymes. Hence, metabolism may be either constructive (anabolism), or destructive (catabolism).  [1913 Webster]
•  The series of chemical changes which take place in an organism, by means of which food is manufactured and utilized and waste materials are eliminated.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

metabolism, n. all the chemical processes that occur within a living organism, resulting in energy production (destructive metabolism) and growth (constructive metabolism).

Derivative

metabolic adj. metabolically adv.

Etymology

Gk metabole change (as META-, bole f. ballo throw)

THESAURUS

metabolism

assimilation, avatar, basal metabolism, catabolism, catalysis, consubstantiation, displacement, heterotopia, metagenesis, metamorphism, metamorphosis, metastasis, metathesis, metempsychosis, mutant, mutated form, mutation, permutation, reincarnation, sport, transanimation, transfiguration, transfigurement, transformation, transformism, translation, translocation, transmigration, transmogrification, transmutation, transposition, transubstantiation

ROGET THESAURUS

metabolism

Organization

N organization, organized world, organized nature, living nature, animated nature, living beings, organic remains, fossils, protoplasm, cytoplasm, protein, albumen, structure, organization, organism, biology, natural history, organic chemistry, anatomy, physiology, zoology, botany, microbiology, virology, bacteriology, mycology, naturalist, archegenesis, antherozoid, bioplasm, biotaxy, chromosome, dysmeromorph, ecology, oecology, erythroblast, gametangium, gamete, germinal matter, invagination, isogamy, oogamy, karyaster, macrogamete, microgamete, metabolism, anabolism, catabolism, metaplasm, ontogeny, ovary, ovum, oxidation, phylogeny, polymorphism, protozoa, spermary, spermatozoon, trophoplasm, vacuole, vertebration, zoogloea, zygote, Darwinism, neo-Darwinism, Lamarkism, neoLamarkism, Weismannism, morphology, taxonomy, organic, organized, karyoplasmic, unsegmentic, vacuolar, zoogloeic, zoogloeoid.