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

One of the largest managers of prescription-drug benefits will offer clients the option of limiting how much diabetics owe out-of-pocket each month for their insulin, the latest step by a health-care company under pressure to curb drug costs. — Joseph Walker, WSJ, "Express Scripts to Offer a Way to Lower Insulin Costs," 3 Apr. 2019 Normally, your pancreas produces the insulin required to process the sugar (glucose) in your food so that it can be stored in your liver, muscles, and fat tissue. — Sarah Jacoby, SELF, "The Science on Weight and Health," 26 June 2018 Her new adoptive family has a medical background, which will help administer the insulin. — Lurissa Carbajal, azcentral, "'She was literally at death's door': A mastiff gets a second chance at life," 21 Apr. 2018 Having carbs in the morning triggers a flood of the storage hormone insulin, which causes your body to hold on to fat. — Gretchen Röehrs, Harper's BAZAAR, "The Reverse-Aging Diet (Yes, You Can Have Carbs)," 9 Mar. 2018 Some metabolic processes, such as insulin signaling, appear to play a role in division of labor in bees. — Quanta Magazine, "In Bees, a Hunt for Roots of Social Behavior," 6 May 2014 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

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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about insulin

Dictionary Entries near insulin

insulation resistance

insulative

insulator

insulin

insulin-dependent diabetes

insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

insulinize

Statistics for insulin

Last Updated

20 Jun 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for insulin

The first known use of insulin was in 1914

See more words from the same year

Keep scrolling for more

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