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melatonin
noun
Examples of melatonin in a Sentence
Word History
mela-, extracted from Greek melan-, mélās "black, dark" + -tonin (in serotonin); so named because the hormone can lighten skin color in animals by reversing the effect of melanocyte-stimulating hormones — more at melano-
Note: The word was probably introduced in the first published description of the hormone's isolation: Aaron B. Lerner, et al., "Isolation of melatonin, the pineal gland factor that lightens melanocytes," Journal of the American Chemical Society, vol. 80, no. 10 (May 20, 1958), p. 2587.
1958, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near melatonin
Cite this Entry
“Melatonin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/melatonin. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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melatonin
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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about melatonin
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