creatine

American  

[kree-uh-teen, -tin] / ˈkri əˌtin, -tɪn /

noun

Biochemistry.

1. an amino acid, C 4 H 9 N 3 O 2 , that is a constituent of the muscles of vertebrates and is phosphorylated to store energy used for muscular contraction.

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creatine British  

/ -tɪn, ˈkriːətɪn, ˈkriːəˌtiːn /

noun

1. an important metabolite involved in many biochemical reactions and present in many types of living cells

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creatine Scientific  

/ krē′ə-tēn′,-tĭn /

1. A nitrogenous organic acid that is found in the muscle tissue of vertebrates, mainly combined with phosphorus, and that supplies energy for muscle contraction. Chemical formula: C ₄ H ₉ N ₃ O ₂ .

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Etymology

Origin of creatine

First recorded in 1830–40; creat- (from Greek kreat-, stem of kréas “flesh”) + -ine ² ( def. )

Compare meaning

How does creatine compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• creatine vs. creatinine

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

creatine

The experiments were conducted in mice and human cells grown in the laboratory, not in cancer patients, so the results should not be interpreted as evidence that creatine supplements improve cancer treatment in people.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 8, 2026

To understand how creatine influences the immune system, researchers first examined the activity of metabolic genes in dendritic cells that had entered tumors in mice.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 8, 2026

By boosting these energy reserves, creatine helped maintain the inflammatory signaling pathways required for dendritic cell activation.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 8, 2026

The findings, based on experiments in mice and human cells, build on previous research from the same laboratory showing that creatine also enhances the function of cancer-fighting T cells.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 8, 2026

Both creatine and creatinine are readily soluble in water.

From The Chemistry of Food and Nutrition by Duncan, A. W.