carotenoid
noun
ca·rot·en·oid
kə-ˈrä-tə-ˌnȯid 
variants
or less commonly carotinoid
: any of various usually yellow to red pigments (such as carotenes) found widely in plants and animals and characterized chemically by a long aliphatic polyene chain composed of eight isoprene units
carotenoid
adjective
Examples of carotenoid in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Chlorophyll gives leaves a green color, so when these pigments are not visible, carotenoids, which produce yellow orange and brown colors, show through, according to the Virginia Department of Forestry.
—
Elissa Robinson, Freep.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Yellow corn contains two carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin.
—Christopher Bergland, Verywell Health, 4 Sep. 2025
Zeaxanthin is a type of xanthophyll – a yellow carotenoid pigment found broadly in nature – already available as a supplement for eye health, and found in dark leafy greens like kale, as well as orange peppers, mango and corn.
—New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2025
Instead, Riddle thinks these carotenoids may be another adaptation to suppress inflammation, which might be important in the wild, as cavefish are likely overeating whenever food arrives.
—ArsTechnica, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for carotenoid
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Elissa Robinson, Freep.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Yellow corn contains two carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin.
—Christopher Bergland, Verywell Health, 4 Sep. 2025
Zeaxanthin is a type of xanthophyll – a yellow carotenoid pigment found broadly in nature – already available as a supplement for eye health, and found in dark leafy greens like kale, as well as orange peppers, mango and corn.
—New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2025
Instead, Riddle thinks these carotenoids may be another adaptation to suppress inflammation, which might be important in the wild, as cavefish are likely overeating whenever food arrives.
—ArsTechnica, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for carotenoid
Cite this Entry
“Carotenoid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carotenoid. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
carotenoid
noun
ca·rot·en·oid
variants
also carotinoid
: any of various usually yellow to red pigments (as carotenes) found widely in plants and animals and characterized chemically by a long aliphatic polyene chain composed of eight isoprene units
carotenoid
adjective
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share