taurine
1 Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or resembling a bull.
-
pertaining to the zodiacal sign Taurus.
noun
adjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of taurine1
From the Latin word taurīnus, dating back to 1605–15. See taur-, -ine 1
Origin of taurine2
First recorded in 1835–45; taur(ocholic) + -ine 2
Explanation
Use the adjective taurine to describe someone or something that resembles a bull, like a big, broad dog lumbering through the dog park. The resemblance to the astrological sign known as "Taurus" is the tipoff to the meaning of taurine: this elegant adjective means "relating to or resembling a bull." In fact, in Latin taurus means "bull." You might describe a football player in a tiny antique shop, bumping against delicate furniture and jostling tea cups, as taurine.
Vocabulary lists containing taurine
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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.
Over time, she identified two promising ingredients: forms of taurine, an organic compound commonly sold as a dietary supplement, and ethanolamine, another simple organic molecule.
From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026
These included the amino acids cysteine and taurine, along with coenzyme M, which plays a key role in metabolism.
From Science Daily • Dec. 3, 2025
His riffs leapt from the amplifier and hit the audience square in the chest with taurine force.
From BBC • Jul. 23, 2025
There is also evidence that adding taurine back into your body as a supplement may improve some of the problems that come with aging.
From Slate • Jun. 20, 2025
The taurine or Ox group is divided into the Zebus, or humped domestic cattle; Taurus, humpless cattle with cylindrical horns; and Gavæus, humpless cattle with flattened horns.
From Natural History of the Mammalia of India and Ceylon by Sterndale, Robert Armitage
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
