1. the branch of engineering that uses technical knowledge to create devices, impla
1.nounB2
Definition
the branch of engineering that uses technical knowledge to create devices, implants, and materials for treating patients and solving problems in biology
Example
Dr. Okafor studied bioengineering at university before joining a team that designs artificial heart valves.
collocation: studied bioengineering at university
The bioengineering lab developed a material that helps broken bones heal in half the usual time.
Fatima's work in bioengineering produced a lightweight prosthetic leg that costs far less than older models.
Hakim chose a career in bioengineering after watching his grandmother struggle with a faulty hip implant.
career in bioengineering
The bioengineering department received a large grant to research new ways of delivering medicine into the body.
a broader term covering all technological uses of living systems, not only engineering approaches
2. the science of changing the genes of living things — such as plants, animals, or
2.nounB2
Definition
the science of changing the genes of living things — such as plants, animals, or bacteria — to give them new traits, for example making crops that resist pests or drought
Example
Many farmers now plant bioengineering crops that can survive long dry seasons without extra water.
bioengineering crops (genetically modified crops)
Elena read an article about using bioengineering to grow rice that contains extra vitamins.
Rafael discovered that pollen from his neighbour's bioengineered maize had drifted across the fence into his organic cornfield.
The bioengineering of bacteria has let scientists produce insulin far more cheaply than before.
bioengineering of bacteria
Jun's class debated whether bioengineering should ever be used to alter the genes of human embryos.
very close in meaning but often used specifically for the act of changing genes rather than the whole field
Common Mistakes
Bioengineering is used to fix broken bones.
Bioengineering crops can resist pests without chemical sprays.
sense 2 is about changing the genes of organisms, not about medical devices or implants.
Word family
bioengineer
nounB2
bioengineer
verbC1
bioengineered
adjectiveB2
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
Bioengineering (sense 1) and biomedical engineering are often used interchangeably, but biomedical engineering is narrower: it focuses specifically on devices for hospitals and clinics — think pacemakers, MRI scanners, and surgical robots. Bioengineering can stretch further, into designing biomaterials or even environmental applications. Biotechnology is the broadest term of the three: it covers any use of living organisms for practical purposes, from brewing beer to gene therapy. Genetic engineering (bioengineering sense 2) is a specialised subset — it deals strictly with altering DNA. So a researcher who designs a new hip implant works in bioengineering (and biomedical engineering); one who modifies yeast to produce a drug works in biotechnology; one who edits a plant's genes to resist frost works in genetic engineering.
Formed from the Greek prefix bio- ('life') and engineering (from Latin ingenium, meaning 'cleverness or skill'). The combined term emerged in the mid-20th century as engineering methods were increasingly applied to biological and medical challenges. The genetic-engineering sense gained prominence in the 1970s with the rise of recombinant DNA technology.