lecithin

American  

[les-uh-thin] / ˈlɛs ə θɪn /

noun

1. Biochemistry. any of a group of phospholipids, occurring in animal and plant tissues and egg yolk, composed of units of choline, phosphoric acid, fatty acids, and glycerol.

2. a commercial form of this substance, obtained chiefly from soybeans, corn, and egg yolk, used in foods, cosmetics, and inks.

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lecithin British  

/ ˈlɛsɪθɪn /

noun

1. Systematic name: phosphatidylcholine.  biochem any of a group of phospholipids that are found in many plant and animal tissues, esp egg yolk: used in making candles, cosmetics, and inks, and as an emulsifier and stabilizer in foods ( E322 )

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lecithin Scientific  

/ lĕs′ə-thĭn /

1. A fatty substance present in most plant and animal tissues that is an important structural part of cell membranes, particularly in nervous tissue. It consists of a mixture of diglycerides of fatty acids (especially linoleic, palmitic, stearic, and oleic acid) linked to a phosphoric acid ester. Lecithin is used commercially in foods, cosmetics, paints, and plastics for its ability to form emulsions.

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Etymology

Origin of lecithin

1860–65; < Greek lékith ( os ) egg yolk + -in ²

Example Sentences

Researchers consider the foods as those made with ingredients not normally found in a home kitchen, including high-fructose corn syrup and emulsifiers such as soy lecithin.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 2, 2025

The plant will have capacity to produce 320,000 metric tons per year of edible soybean oil and 7,500 metric tons of lecithin, it said.

From Reuters • Oct. 20, 2023

Examples include gellan gum, locust bean gum, soy lecithin and, in the case of oat milk, vegetable oil.

From Washington Post • Jun. 20, 2022

Vinegar and egg yolks — which contain the emulsifier lecithin — are rapidly whisked together.

From Salon • Feb. 28, 2021

Among them are the corn-fed chicken itself; modified cornstarch; mono-, tri-, and diglycerides; dextrose; lecithin; yellow corn flour; regular cornstarch; vegetable shortening; partially hydrogenated corn oil.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan