metformin

noun met·for·min \ met-ˈfȯr-mən \

|Updated on: 12 Jul 2018

Definition of metformin

: a drug used in the form of its hydrochloride C₄H₁₁N⁵·HCl especially to treat type 2 diabetes

Recent Examples of metformin from the Web

The cost of common drugs like the generic version of the cholesterol drug Zocor, or the diabetes drug metformin, differ significantly from coast to coast.

— katie thomas, BostonGlobe.com, "What does a drug cost? It depends on where you live.," 7 July 2018
The lifestyle changes proved to be especially effective for people older than 60, while metformin was especially helpful for those between the ages of 25 and 44 as well as those with a BMI over 35.

— sarah jacoby, SELF, "The Science on Weight and Health," 26 June 2018
Carla takes inexpensive metformin—just $3 a month—for diabetes, and doesn’t yet need insulin.

— john tozzi, Bloomberg.com, "Sky-High Deductibles Broke the U.S. Health Insurance System," 26 June 2018
Carla takes inexpensive metformin — just $3 a month — for diabetes and doesn’t need insulin.

— john tozzi and zachary tracer, latimes.com, "How sky-high deductibles broke the U.S. health insurance system," 26 June 2018
The Method: Pop metformin, a common treatment for type 2 diabetes.

— gregory barber, WIRED, "The Science Behind the Pursuit of Youth," 27 Mar. 2018
The company is giving away $1 million in metformin, glipizide and pioglitazone, used to treat Type 2 diabetes, at participating pharmacies including Walmart, Albertsons, Safeway, Kroger and Kmart, among others.

— doreen christensen, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Free diabetes medications for a year at area pharmacies from Blink Health," 9 Apr. 2018
The few clinical trials testing the concept in people have mostly used already approved compounds such as metformin.

— mitch leslie, Science | AAAS, "To treat some diseases, researchers are putting immune cells on a diet," 29 Mar. 2018
Diabetes patients treated with metformin live longer than those without—in one study, even outlasting nondiabetics.

— gregory barber, WIRED, "The Science Behind the Pursuit of Youth," 27 Mar. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of metformin

methyl + -formin (as in phenformin, an earlier antidiabetic drug)

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1961

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Medical Dictionary

metformin

noun met·for·min \ met-ˈfȯr-mən \

medical Definition of metformin

: an antidiabetic drug used in the form of its hydrochloride C₄H₁₁N₅·HCl especially to treat type 2 diabetes in patients unresponsive to or intolerant of approved sulfonylurea drugs

Note: Trademarks for preparations containing metformin include Glucophage, Glucovance, Invokamet, Janumet, Jentadueto, and Kombiglyze.