lecithin
/ˈlɛs.ə.θɪn/ noun
Forms lecithins
- noun (organic chemistry) The principal phospholipid in animals; it is particularly abundant in egg yolks, and is extracted commercially from soy. It is a major constituent of cell membranes, and is commonly used as a food additive (as an emulsifier).
Synonyms
Etymology
From French lécithine, coined in 1847 by Theodore Gobley, from Ancient Greek λέκιθος (lékithos, “egg yolk”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun A complex, nitrogenous phosphorized substance widely distributed through the animal body, and especially conspicuous in the brain and nerve tissue, in yolk of eggs, and in the white blood corpuscles.
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “lecithin”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details