biomaterial

B3I1O1M3A1T1E1R1I1A1L1

noun

A nonviable, biocompatible material used in a medical device, intended to interact with biological systems or to evaluate, treat, augment, or replace any tissue, organ, or function of the body.

OriginEnglish material ← Ancient Greek βῐο- (bĭo-) ← Proto-Indo-European *gʷeyh₃- →
UncommonScrabble 15
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Meanings

nounbiomaterial (plural biomaterials)

plural biomaterials

  1. A nonviable, biocompatible material used in a medical device, intended to interact with biological systems or to evaluate, treat, augment, or replace any tissue, organ, or function of the body.

    Gong believes the fiber-reinforced hydrogel could be used to create biomaterials, such as artificial organs and prostheses, able to endure everyday wear-and-tear.

    2017 July 16, Jenny Marc, Katy Scott, “Revolutionary gel is five times stronger than steel”, in CNN, archived from the original on 02 Jul 2025

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*gʷeyh₃-
  2. Ancient Greekβῐ́ος (bĭ́os)
  3. Ancient Greekβῐο- (bĭo-)
  4. Englishbio-
  5. Englishmaterial
  6. Englishbiomaterial

From bio- + material.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish biomateriaali
  • biomateriaalimaterial
French biomatériau
  • biomatériaumaterial
Greek βιοϋλικό
  • βιοϋλικό (vioÿlikó)material
Irish bithábhar
  • bithábharmaterial
Polish biomateriał
  • biomateriałmaterial
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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