GABA

American

[gab-uh] / ˈgæb ə /

noun

Biochemistry.

a neurotransmitter of the central nervous system that inhibits excitatory responses.

GABA British

/ ˈɡæbə /

acronym

gamma-aminobutyric acid: a biologically active substance found in plants and in brain and other animal tissues; it is a neurotransmitter that inhibits activation of neurones

"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

GABA Scientific

Abbreviation of gamma-aminobutyric acid

Etymology

Origin of GABA

g(amma-)a(mino)b(utyric) a(cid)

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

GABA

Normal human consciousness is tied to inhibitory neurotransmitters in the central nervous system called gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2025

GABAergic neurons control the release of the neurotransmitter GABA.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2023

High doses altered the shape of neuronal support cells called astrocytes and caused changes in gene expression that suggest disruptions to signaling by the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA.

From Science Magazine ● Aug. 31, 2023

In Japan, you can already buy tomatoes rich in a chemical called GABA, which has a calming effect, and modified sea bream where more of the flesh is suitable for sushi.

From BBC ● Mar. 23, 2023

Others generate a chemical called GABA, deficits of which are linked to depression.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 31, 2023

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