dopamine

[ doh-puh-meen ]

/ ˈdoʊ pəˌmin /

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noun

Biochemistry. a catecholamine neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, retina, and sympathetic ganglia, acting within the brain to help regulate movement and emotion: its depletion may cause Parkinson's disease.Compare dopa.

Pharmacology. a dopamine preparation used to increase the force of contraction of the heart in the treatment of shock.

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Compare levodopa.

Origin of dopamine

First recorded in 1955–60; see origin at dopa, amine

Words nearby dopamine

doover, doo-wop, doozy, dop, dopa, dopamine, dopaminergic, dopant, dopatta, dope, dope addict

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

How to use dopamine in a sentence

Others, however, performed worse, especially when their estimated dopamine levels were high.
Do binaural beats benefit your brain?|Sara Kiley Watson|January 28, 2021|Popular-Science
Although the accomplishment may be “low-hanging fruit,” you can still experience the benefit of dopamine, the reward neurochemical, she noted.
Falling short on your 2021 resolutions? Remember: pandemic.|Allyson Chiu|January 14, 2021|Washington Post
Certain neurotransmitters like norepinephrine and dopamine are related to those regions.
Fidgeting can relax your body and brain—if you do it right||January 6, 2021|Popular-Science
According to proponents of this model, sugar activates the pleasure center of the brain, releasing chemicals like dopamine, much like alcohol or illicit drugs do.
Five myths about nutrition|Jessica Wilson|December 31, 2020|Washington Post

Others tapped dopamine—the main messenger for the brain’s reward system—to unite electricity and chemical computing into a semi-living computer.
2020 in Neuroscience, Longevity, and AI—and What’s to Come|Shelly Fan|December 22, 2020|Singularity Hub
The hypothalamus becomes super-charged, the dopamine sets to racing—to violins, the piano, anything.
Was The Beatles’ Music Really That Unique? Yeah, It Totally Was.|Michael Tomasky|February 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Flooding your brain with dopamine and serotonin, it not only heightens feelings of euphoria, but empathy and love as well.
Molly: The Dangerous Drug That’s Too Good to Quit|Abby Haglage|September 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It is entirely clear that the dopamine system responds to physical activity.
Are We Killing Our Sports Gene?|David Epstein|August 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Several lines of scientific evidence have begun to implicate genes that control dopamine.
Are We Killing Our Sports Gene?|David Epstein|August 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST
And there is evidence that the reverse is true as well, that physical activity levels respond to the dopamine system.
Are We Killing Our Sports Gene?|David Epstein|August 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for dopamine

dopamine

/ (ˈdɒpəmɪn) /

noun

a chemical found in the brain that acts as a neurotransmitter and is an intermediate compound in the synthesis of noradrenaline. Formula: (HO) 2 C 6 H 3 (CH 2) 2 NH 2

Word Origin for dopamine

from d (ihydr) o (xy) p (henylethyl) amine

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 dopamine

dopamine

[ dō′pə-mēn′ ]

A monoamine neurotransmitter that is formed during the synthesis of norepinephrine and is essential to the normal functioning of the central nervous system. A reduction of dopamine in the brain is associated with the development of Parkinson's disease. Chemical formula: C8H11NO2.