amanitin

noun

am·​a·​ni·​tin ˌa-mə-ˈnī-tᵊn How to pronounce amanitin (audio) -ˈnē- How to pronounce amanitin (audio)
: a highly toxic peptide that is produced by the death cap and that selectively inhibits mammalian RNA polymerase

Examples of amanitin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This lethal lineup of mushrooms contains amatoxins, which include alpha, beta, and gamma amanitin. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 13 Oct. 2022 The poison is amanitin, which is a particularly nasty cocktail of eight other toxins found in amino acids. Popular Science, 11 Mar. 2020 The toxic agent here is the same amanitin found in the death cap. Bill Heavey, Field & Stream, 9 Mar. 2020 The mushroom contains toxins known as amanitin, which damage liver cells. Rachael Rettner Senior Writer, Fox News, 6 June 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'amanitin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

amanita + -in

First Known Use

1836, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of amanitin was in 1836

Dictionary Entries Near amanitin

Cite this Entry

“Amanitin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amanitin. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

amanitin

noun
am·​a·​ni·​tin -ˈnit-ᵊn How to pronounce amanitin (audio) -ˈnēt- How to pronounce amanitin (audio)
: a highly toxic cyclic peptide produced by the death cap that selectively inhibits mammalian RNA polymerase
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!