biochip

B3I1O1C3H4I1P3

noun

A microchip made from biological macromolecules (especially DNA) rather than a semiconductor.

OriginEnglish chip ← Middle English chippe ← Ancient Greek βῐο- (bĭo-) →
UncommonScrabble 16
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Meanings

nounbiochip (plural biochips)

plural biochips

  1. computingA microchip made from biological macromolecules (especially DNA) rather than a semiconductor.
  2. An identification chip fitted into the flesh of an animal.
verbbiochip (third-person singular simple present biochips, present participle biochipping, simple past and past participle biochipped)

present singular third person biochips · participle present biochipping · participle past biochipped · past biochipped

  1. transitiveTo fit (an animal) with such a chip.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*gʷeyh₃-
  2. Ancient Greekβῐ́ος (bĭ́os)
  3. Ancient Greekβῐο- (bĭo-)
  4. Englishbio-
  5. Middle Englishchippe
  6. Englishchip
  7. Englishbiochip

From bio- + chip.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

biochip. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/biochip

MLA

“biochip.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/biochip. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “biochip,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/biochip.

Source: biochip on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.