taurine

adjective tau·rine \ ˈtȯ-ˌrīn \

Updated on: 19 May 2018

Definition of taurine

: of or relating to a bull : bovine

Origin and Etymology of taurine

Latin taurinus, from taurus bull; akin to Greek tauros bull, Middle Irish tarb

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1613

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

taurine

noun tau·rine \ ˈtȯ-ˌrēn \

Definition of taurine

: a crystalline acid C₂H₇NO₃S that is synthesized in the body from cysteine and methionine, is similar to amino acids but is not a component of proteins, and is involved in various physiological functions (such as bile acid conjugation and cell membrane stabilization)

Recent Examples of taurine from the Web

The heart muscle, specifically, supplies critical amino acids like carnitine and taurine. + Chicken gizzards.

— marygrace taylor, Good Housekeeping, "4 Holistic Vets Reveal Exactly What They Feed Their Dogs," 5 Apr. 2017
Her venom is packed with GABA and two other compounds that also activate the same chloride receptors, β-alanine and taurine.

— christie wilcox, Scientific American, "How a Wasp Turns Cockroaches into Zombies," 1 May 2017
Coco Loco contains cacao powder as well as ingredients often found in energy drinks, including taurine, guarana, and ginkgo biloba.

— ars technica, SELF, "The FDA Is Not Cuckoo for Coco Loko, a Chocolatey Alternative to Snorting Cocaine," 14 Dec. 2017
When brands like Monster Energy and Rockstar launched in the early 2000s, promising sky-high levels of caffeine and other power-you-through agents like the amino acid taurine, they were positioned as frat-party staples.

— Marie Claire, "Rethink the Pink Drink," 16 Sep. 2013
For example, anything with caffeine, such as caffeinated soda and coffee, sports products such as bars, gels and sports drinks, along with creatine, guarana, root and taurine are banned.

— alec johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Pewaukee middle, high school students enjoying new mountain biking program," 29 Sep. 2017
The New York Post reports that Coco Loko contains ginkgo biloba, taurine, and guarana, as well as cacao powder.

— nick thieme, Slate Magazine, "You Can Now Buy Chocolate Powder to Snort," 12 July 2017
Chad Mahler said the Charolais heifer is a breed of taurine beef cattle from the Charolais region in eastern France.

— linda girardi, Aurora Beacon-News, "Cool weather a nice change for 25th annual Kendall fair, organizers say," 5 Aug. 2017
The powder, released last month, contains cacao powder as well as ingredients often found in energy drinks, including taurine, guarana, and ginkgo biloba.

— beth mole, Ars Technica, "Cocaine on training wheels? Snortable chocolate raises eyebrows, angers Schumer," 10 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of taurine

International Scientific Vocabulary, from Latin taurus; from its having been discovered in ox bile

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1845

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Medical Dictionary

taurine

noun tau·rine \ ˈtȯ-ˌrēn \

medical Definition of taurine

: a colorless crystalline acid C₂H₇NO₃S that is synthesized in the body from cysteine and methionine, is similar to amino acids but is not a component of proteins, and is involved in various physiological functions (as bile acid conjugation and cell membrane stabilization)