Metabolize (verb)

1. To convert food or other substances into energy and the chemical compounds needed for growth and survival.
2. To process a substance within an organism by metabolic reactions, such as digestion or detoxification.

Origin:

From the greek word "metabole" which means "change" and the suffix "-ize" which means "to make".

Examples:

1. The body metabolizes food into energy and nutrients.
2. Some drugs are metabolized by the liver before they are eliminated from the body.
3. Alcohol is metabolized by the liver into acetaldehyde and then into acetic acid.
4. The body metabolizes glucose into energy through a series of metabolic reactions.
5. The body metabolizes the drugs into active or inactive compounds.