betaine

American

[bee-tuh-een, -in, bih-tey-een, -in] / ˈbi təˌin, -ɪn, bɪˈteɪ in, -ɪn /

Also betain

noun

Chemistry, Pharmacology.

a colorless, crystalline, water-soluble, sweet-tasting alkaloid, C 5 H 11 NO 2 , usually obtained from sugar beets or synthesized from glycine, used chiefly in medicine.

betaine British

/ -ɪn, -ɪn, ˈbiːtəˌiːn, bɪˈteɪiːn /

noun

a sweet-tasting alkaloid that occurs in the sugar beet and other plants and in animals. Formula: C 5 H 11 NO 2
(plural) a group of chemical compounds that resemble betaine and are slightly basic zwitterions

"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

betaine Scientific

/ bē′tə-ēn′,-ĭn /

Any of a class of organic salts that are derived from amino acids and have a cationic (positively charged) component that consists of a nitrogen atom attached to three methyl (CH ₃) groups.
A salt of this class that is a sweet crystalline alkaloid first found in sugar beets but also widely occurring in other plants and in animals. Betaine is used in the treatment of muscular weakness and degeneration. Chemical formula: C ₅ H ₁₁ NO ₂ .

Etymology

Origin of betaine

1875–80; < Latin bēta beet + -ine ²

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The researchers found that betaine binds to and blocks TBK1, a kinase that drives inflammation.

From Science Daily • Nov. 13, 2025

Remarkably, giving betaine alone created many of the same benefits as training, including better metabolism, improved cognitive function, reduced depressive-like behavior in older mice, and lower inflammation across the body.

From Science Daily • Nov. 13, 2025

It works on two tracks: Kaolin clay and charcoal whisk away dirt and impurities, making way for a soothing-and-hydrating cocktail of vitamin C, skin-boosting niacinamide and betaine, and all-the-rage hyaluronic acid.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 4, 2021

Zinc strengthens the intestinal barrier, and betaine is known to protect cells from environmental stress.

From Scientific American • Sep. 24, 2018

If one of these products is irritating your skin, cocamidopropyl betaine is a likely culprit.

From Washington Times • May 7, 2018

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023