ergosterol

[ ur-gos-tuh-rohl, -rawl ]
/ ɜrˈgɒs təˌroʊl, -rɔl /

noun Biochemistry.

a colorless, crystalline, water-insoluble sterol, C28H43OH, that occurs in ergot and yeast and that, when irradiated with ultraviolet light, is converted to vitamin D.

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Origin of ergosterol

First recorded in 1885–90; ergo-2 + sterol

Words nearby ergosterol

ergometer, ergonomic, ergonomics, ergonovine, ergophobia, ergosterol, ergot, ergotamine, ergotin, ergotism, ergotoxine
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for ergosterol

ergosterol
/ (ɜːˈɡɒstəˌrɒl) /

noun

a plant sterol that is converted into vitamin D by the action of ultraviolet radiation. Formula: C 28 H 43 OH
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

Medical definitions for ergosterol

ergosterol
[ ûr-gŏs′tə-rôl′, -rōl′ ]

n.

A crystalline sterol synthesized by yeast from sugars or derived from ergot and converted to vitamin D2 when exposed to ultraviolet radiation.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.