taurine

¹ American  

[tawr-ahyn, -in] / ˈtɔr aɪn, -ɪn /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling a bull.

2. pertaining to the zodiacal sign Taurus.

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taurine ² American  

[tawr-een, -in] / ˈtɔr in, -ɪn /

noun

Chemistry.

taurines plural

1. a neutral crystalline substance, C 2 H 7 NO 3 S, obtained from bile.

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taurine ¹ British  

/ ˈtɔːraɪn /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling a bull

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taurine ² British  

/ -rɪn, ˈtɔːriːn /

noun

1. a derivative of the amino acid, cysteine, obtained from the bile of animals; 2-aminoethanesulphonic acid. Formula: NH 2 CH 2 CH 2 SO 3 H

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• taurines
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

taurine taurines

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

It also renders all those taurine supplements dubious, because there’s no clear data here showing that you want more of the amino acid in your body.

From Slate ● Jun. 20, 2025

Now this quantity is contained in 0.6 parts of theine, or 2 grains 8/10ths of theine can give to an ounce of bile the nitrogen it contains in the form of taurine.

From The Commercial Products of the Vegetable Kingdom Considered in Their Various Uses to Man and in Their Relation to the Arts and Manufactures; Forming a Practical Treatise & Handbook of Reference for the Colonist, Manufacturer, Merchant, and Consumer, on the Cultivation, Preparation for Shipment, and Commercial Value, &c. of the Various Substances Obtained From Trees and Plants, Entering into the Husbandry of Tropical and Sub-tropical Regions, &c. by Simmonds, P. L.

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