keto
adjective
of or derived from a ketone.
keto
1 American
[kee-toh]
/ ˈki toʊ /
adjective
Chemistry.
keto-
2
American
keto-
British
combining form
Usage
What does keto mean? Keto is short for ketogenic, referring to a diet that is low in carbohydrates but high in protein. While originating as a medical diet, it's popularly associated with weight loss.
Etymology
Origin of keto
First recorded in 1910–15; independent use of keto-
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Despite the debate surrounding it, the keto diet has been associated with health benefits for certain conditions, including epilepsy and Parkinson's disease.
From Science Daily • Mar. 9, 2026
I had a keto diet for most of this tour, and I thought that when I got back to carbs, I’d be more in moderation with it.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2025
These people probably enjoy Ironman competitions, keto and intermittent fasting.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025
You have to do keto but also be vegan.
From Slate • Jan. 1, 2025
Moreover, he felt sure that the quantum-mechanical arguments which showed why diketopiperazine has the keto form should also hold for guanine and thymine.
From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
