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• lycopene
  lycopene

  noun

  a red crystalline substance, C 40 H 56 , that is the main pigment of certain fruits, as the tomato and paprika, and is a precursor to carotene in plant biosynthesis.
• Lycopene
  Lycopene

  noun

  an acyclic carotenoid occuring in tomatoes and some other ripe fruit as a red pigment. As an antioxidant its consumption can reduce the risk of some cancers

lycopene

American  

[lahy-kuh-peen] / ˈlaɪ kəˌpin /

noun

Biochemistry.

1. a red crystalline substance, C 40 H 56 , that is the main pigment of certain fruits, as the tomato and paprika, and is a precursor to carotene in plant biosynthesis.

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Lycopene British  

/ ˈlaɪkəˌpiːn /

noun

1. an acyclic carotenoid occuring in tomatoes and some other ripe fruit as a red pigment. As an antioxidant its consumption can reduce the risk of some cancers

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lycopene Scientific  

/ lī′kə-pēn′ /

1. A red carotenoid found chiefly in blood, the reproductive organs, tomatoes, and palm oils. It is an antioxidant and is the parent substance from which all natural carotenoids are derived. Chemical formula: C ₄₀ H ₅₆ .

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Etymology

Origin of lycopene

1925–30; earlier lycop ( in ) (< New Latin Lycop ( ersicon ) tomato genus (< Greek lýk ( os ) wolf + -o- -o- + Persikón peach ¹ ) + -in ² ) + -ene

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lycopene Lycopene

Red watermelon varieties tend to contain especially high levels of lycopene.

From Science Daily ● May 17, 2026

According to the findings, watermelon consumers took in more dietary fiber, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin A, lycopene, and other carotenoids.

From Science Daily ● May 17, 2026

For example, cooking tomatoes increases their lycopene content, a powerful antioxidant.

From Salon ● Jan. 12, 2025

By deleting or adding selected genes, they engineered strains that produced zeaxanthin as well as other valuable carotenoids -- beta-carotene, lycopene and astaxanthin -- when grown on an aromatic compound commonly found in lignin.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 21, 2023

You may have seen one of these polyphenols advertised on your ketchup bottle—one called lycopene.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

Lycopene is a carotenoid responsible for the red color of tomatoes and certain other fruits and vegetables.

From Science Daily ● May 30, 2026

Lycopene is a carotenoid found mainly in tomatoes and other red fruits.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 10, 2026

Lycopene is the same pigment that gives tomatoes their bright red, and it’s linked to a lower risk of certain cancers.

From Time ● Nov. 23, 2015

It is so good at mopping up free radicals that Lycopene outperforms the best-known carotenoid of them all, beta-carotene.

From Time Magazine Archive

Lycopene might not be the answer, but it too is found in fruits and vegetables.

From Time Magazine Archive