protein

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A nutrient found in foods such as meat, eggs, and beans that the body needs to grow and stay healthy.

   Beans and lentils are a good source of protein for vegetarians.

2. 2
   noun

   A large, complex molecule made of amino acids that carries out most functions inside living cells.

   Proteins relay signals and speed up chemical reactions in the body.

From proto- + -ein. Suggested by Jöns Jacob Berzelius in a letter to Gerardus Johannes Mulder, from French protéine and German Protein, both coined based on Ancient Greek πρωτεῖος (prōteîos, “primary”), from πρῶτος (prôtos, “first”).

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