metformin

noun

met·​for·​min met-ˈfȯr-mən 

: a drug used in the form of its hydrochloride C₄H₁₁N₅·HCl especially to treat type 2 diabetes

Examples of metformin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

One study in the review found that people with obesity who took metformin significantly improved their cholesterol levels after taking up to 1.8 grams of ginger daily. —Kathleen Ferraro, Verywell Health, 9 May 2025

Their findings reveal that metformin significantly increases glucose transfer from the bloodstream to the intestines. —Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 4 Mar. 2025

One trial is seeking to discover whether the drug metformin, which has been approved for decades to treat diabetes, could help prevent lung cancer in people who are overweight and at high risk of the disease, said Dr. Seema Khan, a professor of surgery at Northwestern and a cancer researcher. —Meg Tirrell, CNN Money, 23 June 2025

This can include oral medicines, such as metformin, or injectable medicines, such as Ozempic (semaglutide). —Melissa Nieves, Verywell Health, 5 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

methyl + -formin (as in phenformin, an earlier antidiabetic drug)

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for metformin

• longshoreman
• longshoremen
• corpsman
• foreman
• foremen
• mormon
• warman

Medical Definition

metformin

noun

met·​for·​min met-ˈfȯr-mən 

: an antidiabetic drug used in the form of its hydrochloride C₄H₁₁N₅·HCl especially to treat type 2 diabetes in patients unresponsive to or intolerant of approved sulfonylurea drugs

Note: Trademarks for preparations containing metformin include Glucophage, Glucovance, Invokamet, Janumet, Jentadueto, and Kombiglyze.