serotonin

[ ser-uh-toh-nin, seer- ]

/ ˌsɛr əˈtoʊ nɪn, ˌsɪər- /

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noun Biochemistry.

a neurotransmitter, derived from tryptophan, that is involved in sleep, depression, memory, and other neurological processes.

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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of serotonin

First recorded in 1945–50; sero- + tone + -in²

Words nearby serotonin

serotherapy, serotinal, serotine, serotinous, serotonergic, serotonin, serotype, serous, serous fluid, serous membrane, Serov

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use serotonin in a sentence

The best weighted blankets work by evenly distributing weight across the body to increase serotonin production, which makes us feel calmer.
Best weighted blanket: Sleep like a baby with our comfy bedding picks|PopSci Commerce Team|February 12, 2021|Popular-Science
When sunlight goes away, it can also take serotonin away with it.
Can a happy lamp help cure your winter blues?|Erin Fennessy|January 25, 2021|Popular-Science
You just learned that serotonin can affect a dreaming person’s sense of how significant a weak association is.
Dreaming Is Like Taking LSD - Issue 95: Escape|Antonio Zadra & Robert Stickgold|January 14, 2021|Nautilus
The only drug that worked on this system of glutamate — rather than something like, for example, Prozac affects things like serotonin as does all the other dozens of antidepressants on the market.
How Are Psychedelics and Other Party Drugs Changing Psychiatry? (Ep. 433)|Stephen J. Dubner|October 1, 2020|Freakonomics

Little is known about how serotonin acts in the brain, and investigators quickly recognized that PCPA could be used to study this brain chemical.
50 years ago, an experimental drug hinted at serotonin’s many roles in the brain|Lisa Grossman|September 29, 2020|Science News
Once your serotonin levels are back up to normal, they can make enough melatonin so you can sleep better, says Dr. Rindfleisch.
10 Reasons You’re Exhausted and What to Do About It|DailyBurn|April 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Spaghetti squash also contains specific nutrients that help convert the tryptophan in other foods you eat into serotonin.
6 Healthy Foods to Fight the Flu, Beat Stress and More|DailyBurn|February 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Flooding your brain with dopamine and serotonin, it not only heightens feelings of euphoria, but empathy and love as well.
Molly: The Dangerous Drug That’s Too Good to Quit|Abby Haglage|September 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Besides dopamine, serotonin might play a role, too, researchers say, as well as other brain chemicals and receptors.
In Praise of Tourette's|Jeffrey Koterba|November 22, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Those drugs are SSRIs—serotonin uptake inhibitors—and they spin their mood magic by elevating levels of serotonin in the brain.
Anti-Depressant Nation|Adam Hanft|October 5, 2008|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for serotonin

serotonin

/ (ˌsɛrəˈtəʊnɪn) /

noun

a compound that occurs in the brain, intestines, and blood platelets and acts as a neurotransmitter, as well as inducing vasoconstriction and contraction of smooth muscle; 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT)

Word Origin for serotonin

from sero- + ton (ic) + -in

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

Scientific definitions for serotonin

serotonin

[ sĕr′ə-tō′nĭn, sîr′- ]

A monoamine substance that is formed from tryptophan and found in many animal tissues, including the intestine and central nervous system. In the brain, serotonin acts as a neurotransmitter that is involved in the control of pain perception, the sleep-wake cycle, and mood. Serotonin is also produced in some bacteria and plants.