Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web

bod

 - 11 dictionary results

bod

[bod]
–noun Informal.
1. body: You've got to have a great bod to look good in that bathing suit.
2. Chiefly British. person: We need a few more bods to help with the extra work.

Origin:
1780–90; short for body

BOD

biochemical oxygen demand.

biochemical oxygen demand

–noun
the oxygen required by aerobic organisms, as those in sewage, for metabolism. Abbreviation: BOD


Origin:
1925–30
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To bod
bod   (bŏd)   
n.   Slang
  1. The physical human body; build: "likes brainy men who maintain a good bod" (Catherine Breslin).

  2. A person: "When his ancient tank had broken down . . . he had jumped on the back of mine with a few other bods" (Robert Crisp).

BOD  
abbr.  biochemical oxygen demand
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: biochemical oxygen de·mand
Pronunciation: -di-"mand
Function: noun
: the oxygen used in meeting the metabolic needs of aerobicmicroorganisms in water rich in organic matter (as water polluted with sewage) called also biological oxygen demand, oxygen demand

Main Entry: BOD
Function: abbreviation
biochemical oxygen demand; biological oxygen demand
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

biochemical oxygen demand n.
The amount of oxygen required by aerobic microorganisms to decompose the organic matter in a sample of water and used as a measure of the degree of water pollution. Also called biological oxygen demand.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Science Dictionary
biochemical oxygen demand   (bī'ō-kěm'ĭ-kəl)  Pronunciation Key 
The amount of oxygen required by aerobic microorganisms to decompose the organic matter in a sample of water, such as one polluted by sewage. It is used as a measure of the degree of water pollution.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Abbreviations & Acronyms
BOD
  1. bandwidth on demand

  2. biochemical oxygen demand

  3. biological oxygen demand

  4. board of directors

The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Encyclopedia

BOD

the amount of oxygen used by microorganisms in the process of breaking down organic matter in water. The more organic matter there is (e.g., in sewage), the greater the number of microbes. The more microbes there are, the greater the need of oxygen to support them; consequently, less oxygen is available for higher animals such as fishes. The BOD is therefore a reliable gauge of the organic pollution of a body of water. One of the main reasons for treating sewage or waste water prior to its return to a water resource is to lower its BOD-i.e., reduce its need of oxygen and thereby lessen its demand from the streams or rivers into which it is released.

Learn more about BOD with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see bod on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us: