insulin

noun

in·su·lin | \ ˈin(t)-s(ə-)lən

Definition of insulin

: a protein pancreatic hormone secreted by the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans that is essential especially for the metabolism of carbohydrates and the regulation of glucose levels in the blood and that when insufficiently produced results in diabetes mellitus

Examples of insulin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Connor found out that his father died from an overdose of synthetic insulin. — Kelly O'sullivan, Country Living, "‘Chicago P.D.’ and ‘Chicago Med’ Fans Are Outraged After the Confusing Finale Cast Exits," 23 May 2019 Also discovered were deficiencies in other areas that might contribute to dementia, such as high levels of fasting insulin. — Linda Marsa, Discover Magazine, "A New Treatment for Alzheimer's? It Starts With Lifestyle," 16 Nov. 2018 Or if the government imposed a gag rule, saying that doctors should follow a specific script in telling people about diabetes and insulin. — Mattie Kahn, Glamour, "The New President of Planned Parenthood Knows the Organization Saves Lives. Her Mother Depended on It.," 13 Sep. 2018 But the foundation didn’t stop funding research into the carbohydrate/insulin question. — Megan Molteni, WIRED, "The Collapse of a $40 Million Nutrition Science Crusade," 18 June 2018 The horror story practically writes itself: hacked pacemakers and insulin pumps. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Scientists Design a Network That Lives Inside Your Body," 13 Mar. 2019 This causes damage and makes the pancreas unable to properly produce insulin. — Jennifer Lavallee, SELF, "5 Things I’m Sick of Hearing as Someone With Type 1 Diabetes," 29 Aug. 2018 Type 1 diabetes, which typically is diagnosed in childhood, occurs when the immune system destroys the cells that produce insulin. — Carmen Heredia Rodriguez, Washington Post, "Retooled Vaccine Raises Hopes As A Lower-Cost Treatment For Type 1 Diabetes," 13 July 2018 Diabetes is a condition in which the pancreas cannot properly produce insulin to regulate levels of glucose in your body. — Ilene Raymond Rush, Philly.com, "She lost 100 pounds and reversed her type 2 diabetes. It's difficult, but possible," 14 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'insulin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near insulin

insulation resistance

insulative

insulator

insulin

insulin-dependent diabetes

insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

insulinize

Statistics for insulin

Last Updated

6 Jun 2019

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Time Traveler for insulin

The first known use of insulin was in 1914

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More Definitions for insulin

insulin

noun

English Language Learners Definition of insulin

medical : a substance that your body makes and uses to turn sugar into energy

See the full definition for insulin in the English Language Learners Dictionary

insulin

noun

in·su·lin | \ ˈin-sə-lən

Kids Definition of insulin

: a hormone made by the pancreas that helps the cells in the body take up glucose from the blood and that is used to treat diabetes

insulin

noun

in·su·lin | \ ˈin(t)-s(ə-)lən

Medical Definition of insulin

: a protein hormone that is synthesized in the pancreas from proinsulin and secreted by the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans, that is essential for the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins, that regulates blood sugar levels by facilitating the uptake of glucose into tissues, by promoting its conversion into glycogen, fatty acids, and triglycerides, and by reducing the release of glucose from the liver, and that when produced in insufficient quantities results in diabetes mellitus — see iletin