sterol

[ steer-awl, -ol, ster- ]

nounBiochemistry.

any of a group of solid, mostly unsaturated, polycyclic alcohols, as cholesterol and ergosterol, derived from plants or animals.

Origin of sterol

1910–15; extracted from such words as cholesterol, ergosterol, etc.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for sterol

sterol

/ (ˈstɛrɒl) /

noun

biochem any of a group of natural steroid alcohols, such as cholesterol and ergosterol, that are waxy insoluble substances

Origin of sterol

C20: shortened from cholesterol, ergosterol, etc

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for sterol

sterol

[ stîr′ôl′ ]

Any of various alcohols having the structure of a steroid, usually with a hydroxyl group (OH) attached to the third carbon atom. Sterols are found in the tissues of animals, plants, fungi, and yeasts and include cholesterol.

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