carotene

[ kar-uh-teen ]

noun

any of three yellow or orange fat-soluble pigments having the formula C40H56, found in many plants, especially carrots, and transformed to vitamin A in the liver; provitamin A.

Origin of carotene

1860–65; <Late Latin carōt(a) carrot + -ene

Also carotin.

Words Nearby carotene

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use carotene in a sentence

“Beta-carotene, Vitamin E, and possibly high doses of Vitamin A supplements are harmful,” they wrote.
How Lobbyists Will Keep You Hooked on Vitamins | Paul A. Offit | December 21, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for carotene

carotene

carotin (ˈkærətɪn)

/ (ˈkærəˌtiːn) /

noun

any of four orange-red isomers of an unsaturated hydrocarbon present in many plants (β-carotene is the orange pigment of carrots) and converted to vitamin A in the liver. Formula: C 40 H 56

Origin of carotene

C19 carotin, from Latin carōta carrot; see -ene

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

Scientific definitions for carotene

carotene

[ kăr′ə-tēn′ ]

Any of various organic compounds that occur as orange-yellow to red pigments in many plants and in animal tissue. In plant leaves, carotenes aid in the absorption of light energy by transferring the energy to chlorophyll and act as antioxidants protecting chlorophyll from damage by oxidation. In animals, carotenes are converted to vitamin A primarily in the liver. They are members of the carotenoid family of compounds and give plants such as carrots, pumpkins, and dandelions their characteristic color. Chemical formula: C40H56. See also xanthophyll.

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