biodegrade

[ bahy-oh-di-greyd ]
/ ˌbaɪ oʊ dɪˈgreɪd /

verb (used without object), bi·o·de·grad·ed, bi·o·de·grad·ing.

to decay and become absorbed by the environment: toys that will biodegrade when they're discarded.

Origin of biodegrade

First recorded in 1970–75; back formation from biodegradable

OTHER WORDS FROM biodegrade

bi·o·deg·ra·da·tion [bahy-oh-deg-ruh-dey-shuh n] /ˌbaɪ oʊˌdɛg rəˈdeɪ ʃən/, noun