serotonin

se·ro·to·nin | \ ˌsir-ə-ˈtō-nən

How to pronounce serotonin (audio)

, ˌser- \

Definition of serotonin

: a phenolic amine neurotransmitter C₁₀H₁₂N₂O that is a powerful vasoconstrictor and is found especially in the brain, blood serum, and gastric mucous membrane of mammals

Examples of serotonin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web These amino acids are both capable of increasing serotonin in the brain. — Lauren Corona, chicagotribune.com, "The best calming dog treat," 9 Sep. 2020 Touch also increases levels of serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin—the hormones related to happiness. — Adam Lashinsky, Fortune, "The next global tech giant may come from India," 24 Aug. 2020 Food and drinks that contain certain minerals, therapeutic herbs and tryptophan — an essential amino acid — can aid your body's production of serotonin and melatonin. — Kristen Rogers, CNN, "Tea, milk and other drinks to help you sleep (and some that will hurt)," 11 Aug. 2020 Hormones like serotonin and dopamine can be produced to help regulate mood. — Kendall Cornish, Travel + Leisure, "The Benefits of Scented Candles According to a Psychotherapist," 16 May 2020 Omega-3 fatty acids help fight anxiety and depression by improving the reception of our mood-lifting neurotransmitter serotonin. — Kimberly Wilson, Essence, "Feeling Down? These Foods Are Certified To Boost Your Mood," 2 May 2020 Also, toss in a handful of Dr Teal’s epsom salts, which contain magnesium and can bolster your serotonin levels. — Kathryn O'shea-evans, Bloomberg.com, "How to Plan the Ultimate Date Night For Yourself," 5 May 2020 And that would have been fun, period, but the fact that so many people are enjoying it, it's given Donald and I both a dose of serotonin. — Lacey Rose, The Hollywood Reporter, "How I'm Living Now: Zach Braff, Actor, Writer and Director," 30 Apr. 2020 The glory of your gut Studies reveal that about 95% of serotonin is produced and stored within cells in the gut. — Natalie Meade, Quartz, "The key to good mental health in quarantine is in the food you eat," 24 Apr. 2020

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

History and Etymology for serotonin

sero- + ton(ic) entry 2 or tone entry 1 + -in entry 1, probably after angiotonin, earlier name for angiotensin — more at angiotensin

Note: Term introduced by Maurice M. Rapport, Arda Alden Green and Irvine H. Page in "Crystalline serotonin," Science, vol. 108, Issue 2804 (September 24, 1948), pp. 329-330: "The general behavior of the crystalline substance is suggestive of its homogeneity. We would like provisionally to name it serotonin, which indicates that its source is serum and its activity is one of causing constriction."

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about serotonin

Dictionary Entries near serotonin

Statistics for serotonin

Last Updated

21 Sep 2020

Cite this Entry

“Serotonin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serotonin. Accessed 23 Sep. 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

crabwise

Listen to the pronunciation of crabwise

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Homophone Quiz

In order to judge how people felt, the senator's office hired a firm to take a ______.

poal pol
pole poll

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Dictionary Devil

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.