Definition of heat-shock protein
: any of a group of molecular chaperones (see chaperone entry 1 sense 3) that are produced especially in cells subjected to stressful conditions (such as high temperature) and that serve to stabilize proteins and ensure proper assembly and folding of proteins
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for heat-shock protein
The first known use of heat-shock protein was in 1975
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