| basal metabolism | |
| —n | |
| See basal metabolic rate the amount of energy required by an individual in the resting state, for such functions as breathing and circulation of the blood | |
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
basal metabolism n.
The minimum amount of energy required to maintain vital functions in an organism at complete rest, measured by the basal metabolic rate in a fasting individual.
The rate at which an inactive, resting organism expends energy.