endocannabinoid

noun

en·​do·​can·​na·​bi·​noid ˌen-dō- kə-ˈna-bə-ˌnȯid  

-ˈka-nə-bə-ˌnȯid

plural endocannabinoids

: any of several chemical compounds (such as anandamide) that are naturally produced within the body and bind to the same brain receptors as compounds (such as THC) derived from cannabis : cannabinoid sense 2a

In other studies, endocannabinoid levels have been shown to increase after prolonged running and cycling, leading many scientists to conclude that endocannabinoids help to create runner's high.

—Gretchen Reynolds

Word History

First Known Use

1997, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

endocannabinoid

noun

en·​do·​can·​na·​bi·​noid

ˌen-dō-ˈkan-ə-bə-ˌnȯid,

-kə-ˈnab-ə- 

: any of several chemical compounds (as anandamide) that are naturally produced within the body and bind to the same brain receptors as compounds (as THC) derived from cannabis : cannabinoid sense 2a

In other studies, endocannabinoid levels have been shown to increase after prolonged running and cycling, leading many scientists to conclude that endocannabinoids help to create runner's high.

—Gretchen Reynolds

Scientists have come to recognize that endocannabinoids interact with a specific neurological network—much the way that endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine do.

—Hampton Sides