To break down complex molecules into simpler ones through the metabolic process of catabolism, typically to release energy.
Back-formation from catabolism, adding the verb suffix -ize, allowing the concept to be used as an action; created in the 19th century alongside the adjective catabolic.
Your liver catabolizes alcohol at a rate of about one standard drink per hour—when you drink faster than your liver can break it down, that's when toxins build up and hangovers happen.
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