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bi·o·de·grad·a·ble

(bī′ō-dĭ-grādə-bəl)

adj.

Capable of being decomposed by biological agents, especially bacteria: a biodegradable detergent.

bi′o·de·grad′a·bili·ty n.

bi′o·deg′ra·dation (-dĕg′rə-dāshən) n.

bi′o·de·grade v.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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