phytosterol

[fahy-tos-tuh-rawl, -rol]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Biochemistry., any of various sterols obtained from plants.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of phytosterol¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; phyto- + sterol

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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.

"Our interpretation is that these phytosterol molecular fossils record the rise of algae in ancient oceans, and that animals abandoned phytosterol production when they could easily obtain it from this increasingly abundant food source," Gold said.