Nearby Words

keratin

[ker-uh-tin] Origin

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. 2012.
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Keratin is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
Collins
World English Dictionary
keratin or ceratin (ˈkɛrətɪn)
 
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
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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
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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.
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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.
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