amyloid

noun

am·​y·​loid ˈa-mə-ˌlȯid 

: a waxy translucent substance consisting primarily of protein that is deposited in some animal organs and tissues under abnormal conditions (such as Alzheimer's disease) compare beta-amyloid

amyloid adjective

Examples of amyloid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The team also found that APOE4 astrocytes promoted the accumulation of amyloid and tau proteins linked to Alzheimer’s, and that this effect depended on their interaction with microglia, the brain’s immune cells. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2025

That could be because misfolded amyloid proteins, much like death fold proteins, seem to replicate and form crystal-like structures. —Jon Hamilton, NPR, 16 Oct. 2025

And not just vague signs, actual amyloid plaques and tau tangles, the same hallmarks seen in human patients. —Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2025

Rapid amyloid-β clearance and cognitive recovery through multivalent modulation of blood–brain barrier transport. —Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing amyloid

• amyloid beta
• amyloid beta peptide
• amyloid beta protein
• beta-amyloid
• beta-amyloid peptide
• beta-amyloid protein

Rhymes for amyloid

• adenoid
• alkaloid
• amoeboid
• aneroid
• anthropoid
• arachnoid
• asteroid
• benzenoid
• carcinoid
• celluloid
• coronoid
• humanoid

Medical Definition

amyloid

noun

am·​y·​loid

ˈam-ə-ˌlȯid

1

: a nonnitrogenous starchy food

2

: a waxy translucent substance consisting primarily of protein that is deposited in some animal organs and tissue under abnormal conditions (as in Alzheimer's disease) see beta-amyloid

amyloid adjective