histidine

[ his-ti-deen, -din ]

noun

, Biochemistry.

1. an essential amino acid, C 3 H 3 N 2 CH 2 CH(NH 2 )COOH, that is a constituent of proteins and is important as the iron-binding site in hemoglobin. : His; : H

histidine

/ ˈhɪstɪˌdiːn; -dɪn /

noun

1. a nonessential amino acid that occurs in most proteins: a precursor of histamine

histidine

/ hĭs′tĭ-dēn′ /

1. An amino acid that is essential for children but not for adults. Chemical formula: C 6 H 9 N 3 O 2 .

Word History and Origins

Origin of histidine¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; hist- + -id ³ + -ine ²