metabolism

Definitions

meta- (change) + bol (throw) + -ism (process) = 'the process of throwing into change.' Your body endlessly casts one thing into another — food into energy, energy into tissue. Metabolism names that ceaseless conversion that keeps you alive.

Why It Means This

It helps to read metabolism as 'throwing-into-change.' Everything you eat is 'thrown across' into a new form — broken down, rebuilt, burned. A 'fast metabolism' means your body does this conversion quickly. The shared meta- + bol image links it to metabolic, its adjective.

Common Collocations

• 1.fast metabolism新陈代谢快
• 2.slow metabolism新陈代谢慢
• 3.boost metabolism促进代谢
• 4.basal metabolism基础代谢

Example Sentences

• 1.

  Some people have a fast metabolism and rarely gain weight.

• 2.

  Drinking green tea may slightly boost your metabolism.

• 3.

  Cold weather forces the body to raise its metabolism to stay warm.