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

In people with Alzheimer’s, amyloid plaques and tau tangles build up in the brain and begin accumulating years before noticeable symptoms surface. — Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 11 Nov. 2026

The team found that the ARC score matched or outperformed standard risk measures, including amyloid and tau biomarkers as well as genetic testing, in spotting early decline. — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026

While both early- and late-onset Alzheimer's are characterized by the buildup of amyloid plaques and tau tangles, the new findings suggest that tau pathology may be especially aggressive in younger patients. — Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2026

Kewman remains cognitively normal, but his brain contains amyloid plaques, a pathology long associated with the disease. — Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2026

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
• arachnoid
• asteroid
• benzenoid
• carcinoid
• celluloid
• coronoid
• humanoid
• mongoloid

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