Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "biomass" ita ce jimillar adadin abubuwa masu rai a cikin wani yanki da aka bayar ko girma, yawanci ana bayyana su cikin ma'aunin nauyi kowace raka'a ko girma. A wasu kalmomi, yana nufin jimlar adadin kwayoyin halitta da ke cikin wani yanayi na musamman, kamar tsirrai, dabbobi, da ƙananan ƙwayoyin cuta. Biomass kuma yana iya komawa ga kayan halitta waɗanda ake amfani da su azaman tushen mai, kamar guntun itace, ragowar amfanin gona, da sharar dabbobi. Ana iya kona waɗannan kayan don samar da zafi da wutar lantarki ko kuma a mayar da su zuwa man fetur kamar su ethanol da biodiesel.