vitamin D

American  

noun

1. any of the several fat-soluble, antirachitic vitamins D 1 , D 2 , D 3 , occurring in milk and fish-liver oils, especially cod and halibut, or obtained by irradiating provitamin D with ultraviolet light, essential for the formation of normal bones and teeth.

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vitamin D British  

noun

1. any of the fat-soluble vitamins, including calciferol and cholecalciferol, occurring in fish-liver oils (esp cod-liver oil), milk, butter, and eggs: used in the treatment of rickets and osteomalacia

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vitamin D Scientific  

1. Any of a group of fat-soluble sterols necessary for normal bone growth, especially vitamin D ₂ (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D ₃ (cholecalciferol). Vitamin D is found in milk, fish, and eggs and can be produced in the skin on exposure to sunlight. A deficiency of vitamin D in the diet causes rickets in children.

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Etymology

Origin of vitamin D

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

These foods provide nutrients that are essential for maintaining muscle and bone health, including high-quality protein, vitamin B12, calcium and vitamin D.

From Science Daily

She and her friends would tell themselves they were using the beds, she says, to get "a few minutes of vitamin D".

From BBC

No sunscreen, just 20 minutes of vitamin D. I don’t look at my phone.

From Los Angeles Times

He also touted cod liver oil as a measles treatment, citing its “high concentrations of vitamin A and vitamin D.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Researchers at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center report that magnesium plays a key role in regulating vitamin D levels in the body.

From Science Daily