biomarker

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US/ˈbaɪoʊˌmɑɹkɚ/UK/ˈbaɪəʊˌmɑːkə/

noun

A substance used as an indicator of a biological state, most commonly disease.

UncommonScrabble 17

Meanings

nounbiomarker (plural biomarkers)

plural biomarkers

  1. medicineA substance used as an indicator of a biological state, most commonly disease.

    The goal of combining biomarkers is usually to increase the predictive power beyond that afforded by an individual molecular biomarker.

    2017, Sudhir Srivastava, Biomarkers in Cancer Screening and Early Detection, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 263
    1 more example

    “We are very interested in the concept of biomarkers, including digital biomarkers; in other words, the pattern of your accessing the internet may allow us to detect whether or not you are going to turn out to be vulnerable or not,” said Fineberg, although she admits at present this is just a theoretical idea.

    2018 October 8, Nicola Davis, quoting Naomi Fineberg, “Cyberchondria and cyberhoarding: is internet fuelling new conditions?”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
  2. biologyAny measurable phenomenon that indicates the presence of life.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*gʷeyh₃-
  2. Ancient Greekβῐ́ος (bĭ́os)
  3. Ancient Greekβῐο- (bĭo-)
  4. Englishbio-
  5. Englishmark
  6. Englishmarker
  7. Englishbiomarker

From bio- + marker.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French biomarqueur
  • biomarqueurindicator of a biological state
German Biomarker
  • Biomarkerindicator of a biological state
Greek βιοδείκτης
  • βιοδείκτης (viodeíktis)indicator of a biological state
Italian biomarcatore
  • biomarcatoreindicator of a biological state
Portuguese biomarcador
  • biomarcadorindicator of a biological state
Russian биома́ркер
  • биома́ркер (biomárker)indicator of a biological state
Spanish biomarcador
  • biomarcadorindicator of a biological state
Swedish biomarkör
  • biomarkörindicator of a biological state
Cite this entry
APA

biomarker. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/biomarker

MLA

“biomarker.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/biomarker. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “biomarker,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/biomarker.

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