vitamin D

Definition of vitamin D

: any or all of several fat-soluble vitamins chemically related to steroids, essential for normal bone and tooth structure, and found especially in fish-liver oils, egg yolk, and milk or produced by activation (as by ultraviolet irradiation) of sterols: such as

a or vitamin D₂ \ -ˈdē-ˈtü

How to pronounce vitamin D<sub>2</sub> (audio)

\ : calciferol

b or vitamin D₃ \ -ˈdē-ˈthrē

How to pronounce vitamin D<sub>3</sub> (audio)

\ : cholecalciferol

Examples of vitamin D in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The doctor recommended taking a vitamin D supplement and buying a light therapy lamp to help with her symptoms. — Morgan Krakow, Anchorage Daily News, "Feeling SAD? Seasonal affective disorder rears its yearly head in Alaska.," 21 Dec. 2019 Reduced exposure to light and less vitamin D from sunlight have been linked with depression. — Dr. Sandeep Mendiratta, sun-sentinel.com, "How to handle the holiday blues | Opinion," 5 Dec. 2019 Braces, vitamin D or calcium supplements, or even surgery are explored as possible treatments for bowlegs. — Fox News, "Teen with severe bowlegs undergoes life-changing operation," 3 Dec. 2019 The teen also had a B12 and vitamin D deficiency, low amounts of copper and selenium in his blood, high zinc and low bone density. — Julie Mazziotta, PEOPLE.com, "Teen Boy Developed Blindness from Junk Food Diet, Study Says," 4 Sep. 2019 Henry also mentions that iron deficiency, vitamin D deficiency or vitamin B12 deficiency can also cause hair loss. — Ivana Rihter, Allure, "The Complete Guide to Hair Loss for Women," 22 Aug. 2019 However, a person’s vitamin D supply doesn’t plummet immediately in the winter. — New York Times, "Do I Get Enough Vitamin D in the Winter?," 16 Feb. 2018 The milk is homogenized, fortified with vitamin D, canned, and heat-sterilized. — Darlene Zimmerman, Detroit Free Press, "Overnight Pumpkin Breakfast Casserole recipe is easy, time-saving," 23 Nov. 2019 Less light affects our mood because our bodies need sunlight to produce vitamin D, which appears to help with functioning of parts of the brain that regulate mood and wellbeing. — Sarah Digiulio, NBC News, "Darker days have arrived. Here's how to make your home a wellness refuge all winter long.," 4 Nov. 2019

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

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Last Updated

26 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Vitamin D.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vitamin%20D. Accessed 23 January 2020.

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