Dictionary.com

gamma-aminobutyric acid

[ gam-uhuh-mee-noh-byoo-tir-ik, -am-uh-noh- ]
/ ˈgæm ə əˌmi noʊ byuˈtɪr ɪk, -ˌæm ə noʊ- /
Save This Word!

noun
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of gamma-aminobutyric acid

First recorded in 1960–65; amino- + butyric acid

Words nearby gamma-aminobutyric acid

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

How to use gamma-aminobutyric acid in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for gamma-aminobutyric acid

gamma-aminobutyric acid
/ (ˌɡæməəˌmiːnəuːbjʊˈtɪrɪk) /

noun
the full name for GABA
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 gamma-aminobutyric acid

gamma-aminobutyric acid
[ găm′ə-ə-mē′nō-byōō-tîrĭk, -ăm′ə- ]

An amino acid occurring in the brain as a neurotransmitter that acts to inhibit the transmission of nerve impulses. Certain antianxiety drugs, called benzodiazepines, mimic the actions of gamma-aminobutyric acid. Chemical formula: C4H9NO2.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
FEEDBACK