inositol

[ ih-noh-si-tawl, -tohl, ahy-noh- ]

/ ɪˈnoʊ sɪˌtɔl, -ˌtoʊl, aɪˈnoʊ- /

noun

Biochemistry. a compound, C6H12O6, derivative of cyclohexane, widely distributed in plants and seeds as phytin, and occurring in animal tissue and in urine: an essential growth factor for animal life, present in the vitamin B complex.

Pharmacology. the commercial form of this compound, a white, sweet, crystalline solid, used chiefly to promote epithelialization of the cervix after infection or injury.

Nearby words

inosemia, inosilicate, inosine, inosine pranobex, inosinic acid, inositol, inosituria, inotropic, inoxidizable, inpaint, inpatient

Origin of inositol

1890–95; inosite (< Greek īn-, stem of ī́s fiber, sinew + -ose² + -ite¹) + -ol¹

Also called hexahydroxycyclohexane.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for inositol

inositol

/ (ɪˈnəʊsɪˌtɒl) /

noun

a cyclic alcohol, one isomer of which (i -inositol) is present in yeast and is a growth factor for some organisms; cyclohexanehexol. Formula: C 6 H 12 O 6

Word Origin for inositol

C19: from Greek in-, is sinew + -ose ² + -ite 1 + -ol 1

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

Medicine definitions for inositol

inositol

[ ĭ-nō′sĭ-tôl′, -tōl′, ī-nō′- ]

n.

Any of nine isomeric alcohols especially one found in plant and animal tissue and classified as a member of the vitamin B complex.

Science definitions for inositol

inositol

[ ĭ-nō′sĭ-tôl′, -tōl′, ī-nō′- ]

Any of nine isomeric alcohols, especially one found in plant and animal tissue and classified as a member of the vitamin B complex. Inositol is necessary for the growth of yeasts and other fungi, and in humans is especially abundant as part of a phospholipid found in the brain. Chemical formula: C6H12O6.