protein

US /ˈpɹoʊ.tiːn/ UK /ˈpɹəʊ.ti.ɪn/ See IPA manual

Freq #7714

Meanings

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

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.

Thesaurus

Word family

Forms proteins

Derived forms alloproteinapoproteinazoproteinbioproteincalciproteincerebroproteinchondroproteinchromoproteincobaltoproteincorticoproteincryoproteincuproprotein

Related forms proteicproteo-

Appears in

Phrases (2)

See all

Simplified etymology

Protein was formed in the mid-19th century from Greek prōtos, meaning “first,” a word related at a deeper historical level to English first and Latin primus.

Etymology

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”).

protéine French Protein German πρωτεῖος Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Food & Drink Chemistry Biology & Genetics

External links

# protein

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈpɹoʊ.tiːn/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpɹəʊ.ti.ɪn/
**Frequency rank:** 7714

## Meanings
1. A nutrient found in foods such as meat, eggs, and beans that the body needs to grow and stay healthy.
2. A large, complex molecule made of amino acids that carries out most functions inside living cells.

## Examples
- Beans and lentils are a good source of protein for vegetarians.
- Proteins relay signals and speed up chemical reactions in the body.

## Derived Forms
- alloprotein
- apoprotein
- azoprotein
- bioprotein
- calciprotein
- cerebroprotein
- chondroprotein
- chromoprotein
- cobaltoprotein
- corticoprotein
- cryoprotein
- cuproprotein

## Related Forms
- proteic
- proteo-

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: protéine
- Root: Protein
- Root: πρωτεῖος

## Etymology
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”).

## AI Etymology
Protein comes 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”). The historical chain includes protéine (French), Protein (German), and πρωτεῖος (Ancient Greek). The surrounding word family includes derived forms such as alloprotein, apoprotein, azoprotein, and bioprotein and related forms such as proteic and proteo-. In present use it covers a nutrient found in foods such as meat, eggs, and beans that the body needs to grow and stay healthy and a large, complex molecule made of amino acids that carries out most functions inside living cells.

## Topics
- Food & Drink
- Chemistry
- Biology & Genetics

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