taurine
1 Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or resembling a bull.
-
pertaining to the zodiacal sign Taurus.
noun
-
taurines
plural
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
Modified taurine is nontoxic but creates a slightly cloudy appearance.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 26, 2026
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
His riffs leapt from the amplifier and hit the audience square in the chest with taurine force.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2025
This has caused quite the media storm, because this result casts doubt over the entire idea that taurine levels decline as we age.
From Slate ● Jun. 20, 2025
It is to them conclusive proof of the vast superiority of both the human and taurine species in Spain.
From Castilian Days by John Hay
Mr Caron says his bill does not take aim at the connected but different practice of courses taurines - bull-runs and other entertainments - that have existed in parts of the south for much longer.
From BBC ● Nov. 23, 2022
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.
