mucin

[ myoo-sin ]

/ ˈmyu sɪn /

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noun Biochemistry.

any of a class of glycoproteins found in saliva, gastric juice, etc., that form viscous solutions and act as lubricants or protectants on external and internal surfaces of the body.

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Origin of mucin

First recorded in 1825–35; muc- + -in²

OTHER WORDS FROM mucin

mu·cin·oid, adjectivemu·ci·nous

[myoo-suh-nuhs], /ˈmyu sə nəs/, adjective

Words nearby mucin

muciform, mucigel, mucigen, mucilage, mucilaginous, mucin, mucinase, mucinemia, mucinogen, mucinoid, mucinosis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use mucin in a sentence

This skeleton was composed of hard cartilage, and arose in white fibrous tissue containing gelatin rather than mucin.
The Origin of Vertebrates|Walter Holbrook Gaskell
In its chemical composition there is a marked preponderance of gelatin with only a slight amount of a mucin-body.
The Origin of Vertebrates|Walter Holbrook Gaskell
This fibrillation of mucus is regarded as the result of a coagulation of its mucin, previously held in solution by an alkali.
A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I|Various
In mucous tissue, however, there is present mucin, wholly independent of any epithelial degeneration.
A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I|Various

The intercellular substance of cartilaginous tumors also becomes softened and converted into a liquid containing mucin.
A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I|Various

British Dictionary definitions for mucin

mucin

/ (ˈmjuːsɪn) /

noun

biochem any of a group of nitrogenous mucoproteins occurring in saliva, skin, tendon, etc, that produce a very viscous solution in water

Derived forms of mucin

mucinous, adjective

Word Origin for mucin

C19: via French from Latin mucus

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

Medical definitions for mucin

mucin

[ myōō′sĭn ]

Any of a group of glycoproteins found especially in the secretions of mucous membranes.

Other words from mucin

mu′cin•ous adj.