metabolism.

The chemical processes that keep an organism functioning, including those that use nutrients for energy and growth.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• cellular metabolism
• a slow metabolism

On the page

Its metabolism slowed in the cold but did not stop completely.

Usage notes

Primary category: sci-fi. Forms: Usually uncountable; metabolisms is natural for different organisms or types. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: description, setting. Commonness: moderately common.