Main Entry: sa·po·ge·nin

Pronunciation: \ˌsa-pə-ˈje-nən, sə-ˈpä-jə-nən\

Function: noun

Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary saponin + -genin (compound formed from another compound)

Date: circa 1862

: a nonsugar portion of a saponin that is typically obtained by hydrolysis, has either a complex terpenoid or a steroidal structure, and in the latter case forms a practicable starting point in the synthesis of steroid hormones