vitamin A

noun

: any of several fat-soluble vitamins (such as retinol) that are found especially in green or orange vegetables (such as carrots or spinach) and in animal products (such as egg yolk, butter, or liver) and whose deficiency in the animal body causes epithelial tissues to become keratinous (as in the eye with resulting visual defects)

Examples of vitamin A in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Retinol Retinol, also known as vitamin A, is known as one of the gold-standard ingredients for aging skin due to its fine line- and discoloration-reducing properties. —Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 29 Oct. 2024 Foods rich in vitamin A include milk, peppers, mangos, and cantaloupe. —Merve Ceylan, Health, 21 Oct. 2024 Retinoids are a class of prescription medications that are derived from vitamin A, says Dr. Alexis Livingston Young, a dermatologist at Hackensack University Medical Center. —Jamie Friedlander Serrano, TIME, 17 Oct. 2024 As a strong source of gut-friendly fiber as well as eye health and immune system-supporting vitamin A—not to mention earthy-sweet flavor and a delightfully crunchy texture—carrots are one of the most versatile vegetables in the supermarket. —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for vitamin A 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1920, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of vitamin A was circa 1920

Dictionary Entries Near vitamin A

vitamin

vitamin A

vitamin B

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Vitamin A.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vitamin%20A. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

vitamin A

noun
: any of several vitamins or a mixture of them that are found especially in green and orange vegetables (as carrots or spinach) and animal products (as egg yolk, butter, or liver) and are needed especially for good vision

Medical Definition

vitamin A

noun
: any of several fat-soluble vitamins or a mixture of two or more of them whose lack in the animal body causes keratinization of epithelial tissues (as in the eye with resulting night blindness and xerophthalmia): as
a
: a pale yellow crystalline highly unsaturated alicyclic alcohol C20H29OH that is found in animal products (as egg yolk, milk, and butter) and especially in marine fish-liver oils (as of cod, halibut, and shark) and that is used in various forms in medicine and nutrition

called also retinol, vitamin A1

b
: a yellow viscous liquid alicyclic alcohol C20H27OH that contains one more double bond in a molecule than vitamin A1 and is less active biologically in mammals and that occurs especially in the liver oil of freshwater fish

called also vitamin A2

More from Merriam-Webster on vitamin A

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about vitamin A

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