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metabolite

American  
[muh-tab-uh-lahyt] / məˈtæb əˌlaɪt /

noun

Biology, Physiology.
  1. a product of metabolic action.


metabolite British  
/ mɪˈtæbəˌlaɪt /

noun

  1. a substance produced during or taking part in metabolism

"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

metabolite Scientific  
/ mĭ-tăbə-līt′ /
  1. A substance produced by metabolism.

  2. A substance necessary for or taking part in a particular metabolic process. Examples of metabolites are glucose in the metabolism of sugars and starches, amino acids in the biosynthesis of proteins, and squalene in the biosynthesis of cholesterol.


Etymology

Origin of metabolite

First recorded in 1880–85; metabol(ism) + -ite 1

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.

See Examples For:

"This promotes production of the metabolite N1-acetylspermidine, which contributes to the ability of butyrate-treated IEC-conditioned medium to induce IL-10 production in CD4⁺ T-cells."

From Science Daily Aug. 21, 2026

Further analysis revealed that mice with the mutation produced increased levels of ATDR, a metabolite derived from vitamin A, in their brains.

From Science Daily Apr. 15, 2026

To identify which bacteria and microbial byproducts contribute to these metabolite patterns, the researchers treated obesity and diabetes susceptible mice with an antibiotic designed to target specific intestinal microorganisms.

From Science Daily Dec. 14, 2025

The study unexpectedly identified a significant role for a group of enzymes known as agmatinases, which convert the metabolite agmatine into polyamines.

From Science Daily Dec. 5, 2025

They added liquid solutions containing each metabolite to cultured human skin cells.

From Science Daily Nov. 29, 2025

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