Metabolizer

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An entity or organism capable of converting substances into energy and building blocks through chemical processes ; a person or system responsible for breaking down nutrients and toxins ; a biological agent that facilitates metabolism by transforming compounds within a living body
2. A living being or mechanism that chemically alters compounds to maintain life functions ; an individual or device that processes food and chemicals into usable energy and waste ; a biological unit that enables the conversion of substances into growth and energy components
3. A biological system or organism that enzymatically processes chemicals for energy and synthesis ; an individual who converts ingested materials into metabolic products ; an agent that drives the chemical reactions necessary for sustaining life activities through substance alteration

Etymology: Metabolizer is a plain English formation: the verb "metabolize" with the agent suffix "-er" added at the end. The verb "metabolize" was itself built from "metabolism," which comes from Greek "metabolē," meaning "change" or "overthrow," built from "meta-" ("beyond, change") and "ballein" ("to throw"). The original idea was of something thrown from one state into another, which fits the way a body transforms what it takes in. The suffix has a longer lineage than the base. The "-er" ending descends from Latin "-arius," a suffix that marked a person connected with or performing a task, and it reached English through Old English "-ere," which also served to name agents such as "baker" and "writer." The suffix has been productive ever since, so new agent nouns can be made from almost any verb.

Synonyms: processor, converter