ferritin

American

[fer-i-tn] / ˈfɛr ɪ tn /

noun

Biochemistry.

an amber-colored, crystalline protein, found in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow, that consists of apoferritin combined with a ferric hydroxide-ferric phosphate complex and that stores iron for use in metabolism.

ferritin British

/ ˈfɛrɪtɪn /

noun

biochem a protein that contains iron and plays a part in the storage of iron in the body. It occurs in the liver and spleen

"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

Etymology

Origin of ferritin

First recorded in 1935–40; ferrite + -in ²

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

ferritin

"Do you have ferritin face?" a young woman asks on TikTok, pointing to dark circles, washed-out skin and brittle hair, alongside before-and-after style photographs.

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026

Can you tell your ferritin levels from your face?

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026

Is it just me or is everyone suddenly talking about their low ferritin levels?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

On social media, I’m seeing posts like “low ferritin girlies unite” or “supplements that got my ferritin up” or “my ferritin is at a 9.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

In contrast, a vaccine based on a scaffold protein called ferritin, coated with SARS-CoV-2 antigens, generated many antibodies against ferritin as well as SARS-CoV-2.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 30, 2024

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023