bioreactive
|bi-o-re-ac-tive|
🇺🇸
/ˌbaɪ.oʊriˈæktɪv/
🇬🇧
/ˌbaɪ.əʊriˈæktɪv/
reacts with life / reacts in biological contexts
Etymology
'bioreactive' originates from a modern English compound combining the prefix 'bio-' from Greek and the adjective 'reactive'. 'bio-' ultimately comes from Greek 'bios' meaning 'life', and 'reactive' is built on 'react' (from Latin-derived elements) meaning 'to respond or act back'.
'bio-' derives from Greek 'bios' ('life'). 'reactive' developed from Latin-rooted 'react-' (re- + agere/act-) into Medieval/Modern English 'react' and the adjective-forming suffix '-ive', producing 'reactive' in English; the compound 'bioreactive' is a relatively recent formation in scientific English combining these elements.
Initially the separate elements meant 'life' and 'capable of responding'; combined as 'bioreactive' it came to mean specifically 'capable of producing or undergoing reactions in biological contexts' and is used mainly in scientific and technical usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
capable of interacting with living organisms or tissues and producing a biological response (e.g., triggering cellular or immune reactions).
The bioreactive compound triggered an immune response in the test animals.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Adjective 2
prone to undergo chemical or metabolic reactions under biological conditions (e.g., metabolically transformed in the body).
Certain drugs are highly bioreactive and are rapidly metabolized in the liver.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/01 11:22