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• amino
  amino

  adjective

  containing the amino group.
• amino-
  amino-

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

amino

¹ American  

[uh-mee-noh, am-uh-noh] / əˈmi noʊ, ˈæm əˌnoʊ /

adjective

Chemistry.

1. containing the amino group.

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amino- ² American  

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

   aminobenzene.

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amino ¹ British  

/ -ˈmiː-, əˈmaɪnəʊ /

noun

1. (modifier) of, consisting of, or containing the group of atoms -NH 2

   amino group or radical

   amino acid

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amino- ² British  

combining form

1. indicating the presence of an amino group

   aminobenzoic acid

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amino Scientific  

/ ə-mē′nō,ăm′ə-nō′ /

1. Relating to an amine or other chemical compound that contains the group NH ₂.

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Etymology

Origin of amino¹

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

Origin of amino-²

amine + -o-

Example Sentences

Researchers at UC Davis have developed a light driven technique that converts amino acids, the molecules that make up proteins, into compounds that behave similarly to psychedelics in the brain.

From Science Daily • May 14, 2026

Using roughly 100 existing datasets, the scientists examined amino acids and fatty acids from microbes, soils, fossils, meteorites, asteroids, and synthetic laboratory samples.

From Science Daily • May 12, 2026

The short chains of amino acids are used in myriad health applications—including for weight loss, muscle recovery, skin rejuvenation, and treating specific diseases like diabetes.

From Barron's • May 11, 2026

And life’s building blocks—nucleobases, amino acids, hydrocarbons—are pretty much everywhere we look.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

Worse than mud, even: It looks like the sort of primordial goo that could generate new amino acids, which would inevitably combine to initiate protein synthesis and create brand new life forms.

From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram