Definition of "biomass" []

• The total mass of living matter within a given unit of environmental area. (noun)
• Plant material, vegetation, or agricultural waste used as a fuel or energy source. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "‡ The term biomass is most often encountered in discussions of sources of energy, as biomass can be used to supply energy needs directly (as fuel wood, for example) or indirectly (by being converted to alcohol; see gasohol)."
• "I recall seeing some study last year from the Smoky Mountains research site that found only a 20% increase in biomass of the trees that they studied, which was about half of what they had predicted in the model."
• "Peter + Maria Hoey When biomass is used in making plastic, it replaces petroleum products as an ingredient, thus reducing demand for carbon-laden fossil fuels."