amino

[ uh-mee-noh, am-uh-noh ]

/ əˈmi noʊ, ˈæm əˌnoʊ /

Save This Word!

adjective Chemistry.

containing the amino group.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Origin of amino

First recorded in 1900–05; independent use of amino-

Words nearby amino

Aminah, aminase, aminate, Amindivi Islands, amine, amino, aminoacetic acid, amino acid, amino-acid dating, amino acid dehydrogenase, aminoacidemia

Other definitions for amino (2 of 2)

amino-

a combining form used in the names of chemical compounds in which the amino group is present: aminobenzene.

Also -amine; especially before a vowel, amin-.

Origin of amino-

amine + -o-

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use amino in a sentence

NASA’s Cassini space probe even identified compounds containing carbon, nitrogen and oxygen within Enceladus’ plumes, some of the ingredients of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.
Life on Earth may have begun in hostile hot springs|Jack J. Lee|September 24, 2020|Science News
Certain beneficial bacteria will eat tryptophan, an amino acid in root exudates, and return it to the plant as indole-3-acetic acid, one of the botanical world’s most important growth hormones.
Junk Food Is Bad For Plants, Too - Issue 90: Something Green|Anne Biklé & David R. Montgomery|September 23, 2020|Nautilus
To make proteins, a cell looks to these three-letter “codons” to determine which amino acid to add next to a protein it is building.
Synthetic biologists have created a slow-growing version of the coronavirus to give as a vaccine|David Rotman|September 16, 2020|MIT Technology Review
To become stinky 3M3SH, enzymes have to remove those two amino acids.
Stinky success: Scientists identify the chemistry of B.O.|Alison Pearce Stevens|September 15, 2020|Science News For Students

By predicting the elusive ways in which various proteins fold on the basis of their amino acid sequences, AlphaFold may soon have a tremendous impact in aiding drug discovery and fighting some of today’s most intractable diseases.
How AI Will Make Drug Discovery Low-Cost, Ultra-Fast, and Personalized|Peter H. Diamandis, MD|July 23, 2020|Singularity Hub
Eggs, he says, are a good source of cysteine, an amino acid that helps the liver break down alcohol faster.
5 Hangover Cures to Save You After a Few Too Many|DailyBurn|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Comets contain amino acids, which are organic compounds that include the raw ingredients for proteins that make for living things.
Comet Surfing on a Rocket|Matthew R. Francis|August 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Unlike coffee, tea has an amino acid that is associated with calmness: Theanine.
Forget 5-Hour Energy: Tea Is a Better Buzz|Gregory Ferenstein|July 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The premise is this: turkey is chock-full of a soporific essential amino acid, tryptophan, one of the 22 essential amino acids.
Eat Turkey All You Want! It’s Not Going to Put You to Sleep|Kent Sepkowitz|November 22, 2012|DAILY BEAST
She cut out amino acids and other slightly toxic chemicals found in many foods we consume every day.
Be Meat and Drink: A Conceptual Performance at Allegra LaViola Gallery|Lizzie Crocker|April 15, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Thus the proteins are digested down to the amino acids and these diffuse into the blood as demonstrated by Folin and by Van Slyke.
The Organism as a Whole|Jacques Loeb
The different proteins differ in regard to the different types of amino acids which they contain.
The Organism as a Whole|Jacques Loeb
The same increase accompanies the introduction of the amino group into aromatic nuclei.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 1|Various
It would, therefore, appear that the value of the amino bodies is largely of a stimulant character.
The Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines, Vol. 1 of 2|Various
Apothesine, the hydrochlorid of diethyl-amino-propyl-cinnamate, is an efficient local anesthetic.
The Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines, Vol. 2 of 2|Various

British Dictionary definitions for amino (1 of 2)

amino

/ (əˈmaɪnəʊ, -ˈmiː-) /

noun

(modifier) of, consisting of, or containing the group of atoms -NH 2amino group or radical; amino acid

British Dictionary definitions for amino (2 of 2)

amino-

combining form

indicating the presence of an amino groupaminobenzoic acid

Word Origin for amino-

from amine

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for amino (1 of 2)

amino

[ ə-mē′nō, ăm′ə-nō′ ]

adj.

Relating to an amine or other compound containing an NH2 group combined with a nonacid organic radical.

Medical definitions for amino (2 of 2)

amino-

pref.

Containing the radical NH2 combined with a nonacid organic radical:aminobenzoic acid.

Scientific definitions for amino

amino

[ ə-mē′nō, ăm′ə-nō′ ]

Relating to an amine or other chemical compound that contains the group NH2.