Main Entry: hep·a·rin

Pronunciation: \ˈhe-pə-rən\

Function: noun

Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary, from Greek hēpar liver

Date: 1918

: a mucopolysaccharide sulfuric acid ester that is found especially in the liver and lungs, that prolongs the clotting time of blood, and that is used medically in the form of its sodium salt

— hep·a·rin·ized \-rə-ˌnīzd\ adjective