Merriam-Webster / MedlinePlus

Medical Dictionary

MedlinePlus Health Information Merriam-Webster OnLine
One entry found.

Main Entry: essential amino acid
Function: noun
: any of various alpha-amino acids that are required for normal health and growth, are either not manufactured in the body or manufactured in insufficient quantities, are usually supplied by dietary protein, and in humans include histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine

Search here for another word:
Search Merriam-Webster OnLine


Pronunciation Key

\ schwa \ as a in abut
\ primary stressschwa secondary stressschwa \ as u in abut
\ schwa \ as e in kitten
\ schwar \ as ur/er in further
\ a \ as a in ash
\ schwa \ as a in ace
\ ä \ as o in mop
\ au dot \ as ou in out
\ b \ as in baby
\ ch \ as ch in chin
\ d \ as d in did
\ e \ as e in bet
\ primary stresse macron secondary stresse macron \ as ea in easy
\ e macron \ as y in easy
\ f \ as f in fifty
\ g \ as g in go
\ h \ as h in hat
\ i \ as i in hit
\ i macron \ as i in ice
\ j \ as j in job
\ k \ as k in kin
\ k underlined \ as ch in ich dien
\ l \ as l in lily
\ m \ as m in murmur
\ n \ as n in own
\ eng \ as ng in sing
\ o macron \ as o in go
\ o dot \ as aw in law
\ o doti \ as oy in boy
\ p \ as p in pepper
\ r \ as r in red
\ s \ as s in less>
\ sh \ as sh in shy
\ t \ as t in tie
\ th \ as th in thin
\ th \ as th in the
\ ü \ as oo in loot
\ u dot \ as oo in foot
\ v \ as v in vivid
\ w \ as w in away
\ y \ as y in yet
\ yü \ as you in youth
\ yu dot \ as u in curable
\ z \ as z in zone
\ zh \ as si in vision


© by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated