tryptophan

tryp·to·phan | \ ˈtrip-tə-ˌfan

How to pronounce tryptophan (audio)

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variants: or less commonly tryptophane \ ˈtrip-tə-ˌfān

How to pronounce tryptophane (audio)

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Definition of tryptophan

: a crystalline essential amino acid C₁₁H₁₂N₂O₂ that is widely distributed in proteins

Examples of tryptophan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web While earthlings were nursing tryptophan comas over Thanksgiving weekend, NASA's Curiosity Rover was busy stitching together a 1,000-picture panorama of Gale crater—the most pixel-dense image of Mars ever taken. — Jennifer Leman, Popular Mechanics, "This Is the Highest-Res Panorama of Mars...Ever," 6 Mar. 2020 The football gods seemingly handed the Jets a de facto second bye against this tomato can, but the tryptophan evidently was still in Gang Green’s system. — Dave Clark, Cincinnati.com, "'New York Daily News' column insisted Bengals game would be 'cakewalk' for Jets," 2 Dec. 2019 Green banana skins are both rich in the amino acid tryptophan (associated with good sleep quality) and also in resistant starch, which will benefit gut health. — Leah Groth, Health.com, "Can Eating Banana Peels Help You Lose Weight?," 2 Dec. 2019 Unless both players simultaneously overdose on tryptophan before coming to the arena tonight, the Clippers are not an optimal opponent for a Spurs team still looking to stop its freefall. — Jeff Mcdonald, ExpressNews.com, "Kawhi Leonard’s return won’t help San Antonio Spurs stop skid," 28 Nov. 2019 This tryptophan/mood connection is an area of ongoing research. — Andrew Neff, The Conversation, "Turning to turkey’s tryptophan to boost mood? Not so fast," 21 Nov. 2019 The tryptophan seemed to hit the Bucks after the halftime break, though, as the Bucks struggled to keep their advantage intact. — Matt Velazquez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Bucks 119, Cavaliers 110: Surviving a comeback scare," 29 Nov. 2019 Getty Images It’s the day after Thanksgiving, the tryptophan has worn off, and there are towers of Tupperware filled with turkey, stuffing and potatoes in your fridge. — Samantha Presnal, Quartzy, "Thanksgiving leftovers can be an outlet for creativity," 29 Nov. 2019 Here are some essential titles from this year's crop to hunt down as the tryptophan still runs through your blood. — Ron Hart, Billboard, "Record Store Day Black Friday: 10 Releases to Look Out For In 2019," 27 Nov. 2019

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

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Learn More about tryptophan

Dictionary Entries near tryptophan

try someone's patience

try (something) on for size

Statistics for tryptophan

Last Updated

13 Mar 2020

Cite this Entry

“Tryptophan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tryptophan. Accessed 28 Mar. 2020.

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