Added 9 October 2026
insulin
/ˈɪnsjʊlin/ noun
In Latin: insulinum Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about insulin at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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A polypeptide hormone that regulates carbohydrate metabolism (in various animals including humans).
Mommy said that Grandma's diabetes happened because her body stopped making its own insulin.
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Any exogenous preparation of this hormone for use as a medication.
The advent of insulin in the mid-20th century changed the lives of millions of people with diabetes.
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Any exogenous preparation of this hormone or its analogues for use as a medication.
A: What kind of insulin do you take? B: I use basal-bolus therapy, which in my case involves glargine and lispro.
Origin
From Latin īnsula (“island”) (named for the islets of Langerhans, where insulin is produced) + -in.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)