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glutamate

American  
[gloo-tuh-meyt] / ˈglu təˌmeɪt /

noun

  1. a salt or ester of glutamic acid.


glutamate British  
/ ˈɡluːtəˌmeɪt /

noun

  1. any salt of glutamic acid, esp its sodium salt See monosodium glutamate

"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 glutamate

First recorded in 1875–80; glutam(ic acid) + -ate 2

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Example Sentences

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Ajinomoto, which means “essence of flavor”, built its food empire on the discovery of umami and commercialized the so-called fifth taste in its purest form as monosodium glutamate, a “flavor bomb” used by cooks worldwide.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 10, 2026

They are activated by glutamate, a key neurotransmitter.

From Science Daily Mar. 23, 2026

This ultimately stimulates the release of more glutamate, which helps send excitatory signals between brain cells.

From The Wall Street Journal Mar. 17, 2026

Aijinomoto is best known as the pioneer of monosodium glutamate seasoning.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 5, 2026

This resulted in the substitution of one amino acid for another: glutamate was switched to valine.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

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