insulin

noun in·su·lin \ ˈin(t)-s(ə-)lən \

|Updated on: 20 Jun 2018

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

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Recent Examples of insulin from the Web

Fischell has had a hand in numerous inventions including coronary artery stents, the implantable heart defibrillator, the implantable insulin pump, a device to prevent migraine headaches and a device to prevent death from heart attacks.

— meredith cohn, baltimoresun.com, "University of Maryland School of Medicine to receive $20 million gift," 10 May 2018
But a new study in JAMA found that neither genetic makeup nor the amount of insulin the body secretes determined how much weight people lost on either a low-fat or a low-carbohydrate diet.

— consumer reports, Washington Post, "Should you match your diet to your genes?," 14 May 2018
Its biggest business is diabetes, including various types of insulin whose list prices have more than doubled in recent years.

— STAT, "How a drug company under pressure for high prices ratchets up political activity," 30 Apr. 2018
Its biggest business is diabetes, including various types of insulin whose list prices have more than doubled in recent years.

— jay hancock, Philly.com, "Novo Nordisk, chastised for hiking insulin prices, makes a textbook response: It jacks up lobbying," 30 Apr. 2018
Vieques, Puerto RicoAs the cry of a rooster heralded the dawn, Joe Garcia, 41, pulled a vial of insulin from the fridge.

— carmen heredia rodriguez, CNN, "Months after Maria, Puerto Rican patients must travel 12 hours for dialysis," 18 Apr. 2018
Hernandez, the dairy farmer, said his 21-year-old goddaughter ran out of insulin and had to be taken to a hospital.

— eduard freisler, miamiherald, "Venezuelan farms have begun feeding their workers — so they don't faint from hunger | Miami Herald," 16 Apr. 2018
Studies show that patients forced to shoulder more of the expense of their medications are more likely to try to make the prescriptions for their original medication last longer by splitting pills or skipping doses of insulin.

— guest voices, AL.com, "Alabama's children pay when insurers cut diabetes coverage," 10 Apr. 2018
Lantus, the long-acting form of insulin, cost us $186 per month, four times the price in France.

— siddhartha mukherjee, New York Times, "Can Doctors Choose Between Saving Lives and Saving a Fortune?," 3 Apr. 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.

Origin and Etymology of insulin

New Latin insula islet (of Langerhans), from Latin, island

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1914

in the meaning defined above

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INSULIN Defined for English Language Learners

insulin

noun

Definition of insulin for English Language Learners

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

INSULIN Defined for Kids

insulin

noun in·su·lin \ ˈin-sə-lən \

Definition of insulin for Students

: 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

Medical Dictionary

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