carotenoid

or ca·rot·i·noid

[ kuh-rot-n-oid ]

/ kəˈrɒt nˌɔɪd /

Biochemistry

noun

any of a group of red and yellow pigments, chemically similar to carotene, contained in animal fat and some plants.

adjective

similar to carotene.

pertaining to carotenoids.

Nearby words

Origin of carotenoid

First recorded in 1910–15; carotene + -oid

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for carotenoid

carotenoid

carotinoid

/ (kəˈrɒtɪˌnɔɪd) /

noun

any of a group of red or yellow pigments, including carotenes, found in plants and certain animal tissues

adjective

of or resembling carotene or a carotenoid

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

Word Origin and History for carotenoid

carotenoid

1913, from German carotinoïde (1911), from carotin (see carotene) + -oid.

Medicine definitions for carotenoid

carotenoid

[ kə-rŏt′n-oid′ ]

n.

Any of a class of yellow to red pigments, including the carotenes and the xanthophylls.

adj.

Of, relating to, or characterizing such a pigment.

Science definitions for carotenoid

carotenoid

[ kə-rŏt′n-oid′ ]

Any of a class of yellow to red pigments found especially in plants, algae, and photosynthetic bacteria. Carotenoids generally consist of conjoined units of the hydrocarbon isoprene, with alternating single and double bonds. The carotenoids absorb light energy of certain frequencies and transfer it to chlorophyll for use in photosynthesis. They also act as antioxidants for chlorophyll, protecting it from damage by oxidation in the presence of sunlight. Carotenoids are nutritionally important for many animals, giving flamingoes their color, for example, and also have antioxidant properties. There are many types of carotenoids, including carotenes and xanthophylls. See more at photosynthesis.