ionophore

American

[ahy-on-uh-fawr, -fohr] / aɪˈɒn əˌfɔr, -ˌfoʊr /

noun

Biochemistry.

a lipid-soluble substance capable of transporting specific ions through cellular membranes.

ionophore British

/ aɪˈɒnəˌfɔː /

noun

a chemical compound capable of forming a complex with an ion and transporting it through a biological membrane

"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 ionophore

First recorded in 1950–55; iono- + -phore

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