ker·a·tin

[ker-uh-tin]
noun
a scleroprotein or albuminoid substance, found in the dead outer skin layer, and in horn, hair, feathers, hoofs, nails, claws, bills, etc.
Origin:
1840–50; kerat- + -in2

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To keratin
Collins
World English Dictionary
keratin or ceratin (ˈkɛrətɪn) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
a fibrous protein that occurs in the outer layer of the skin and in hair, nails, feathers, hooves, etc
 
ceratin or ceratin
 
—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
00:10
Keratin is always a great word to know.
So is ort. Does it mean:
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

keratin
"basic substance of horns, nails, feathers, etc.," 1847, from Gk. keras (gen. keratos) "horn" + chemical suffix -in.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

keratin ker·a·tin (kěr'ə-tĭn)
n.
Any of a group of scleroproteins or albuminoids that contain large amounts of sulfur and are the chief structural constituents of hair, nails, and other horny tissues.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
keratin   (kěr'ə-tĭn)  Pronunciation Key 
Any of a class of tough, fibrous proteins that are the main structural component of hair, nails, horns, feathers, and hooves. Keratins are rich in sulfur-containing amino acids, especially cysteine. Individual keratin molecules are entwined helically around each other in long filaments, which are cross-linked by bonds between sulfur atoms on different chains. The twining and cross-linking produce strength and toughness.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Most salons that make this claim either don't get the same results as keratin
  treatments or are secretly using formaldehyde.
Horns and feathers are also made of keratin, broadening the prospects of
  sequencing other extinct species from museum specimens.
It is known by the name of the enamel droplet, and resembles keratin in its
  resistance to the action of mineral acids.
Overlying the bone are protective scaly layers of keratin, the same protein
  that makes up our fingernails and hair.
Partners:WordBloglinesCitysearchThe Daily BeastAsk AnswersAsk KidsLife123SendoriHome Advisor
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
About PRIVACY POLICY Terms API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Suggest a Word Help
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT