tocopherol

noun

to·​coph·​er·​ol tō-ˈkä-fə-ˌrȯl  -ˌrōl 

: any of several fat-soluble oily phenolic compounds with varying degrees of antioxidant vitamin E activity

especially : alpha-tocopherol

Examples of tocopherol in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

To balance out the potency, the formula is infused with skin-loving extras, including glycerin for hydration, peptides and amino acids to support a stronger, healthier skin barrier, and antioxidants such as tocopherol (vitamin E) and pomegranate extract to defend against environmental stress. —Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 1 Oct. 2025

Higher Antioxidant Levels Seed oils are rich in tocopherols (vitamin E-like compounds), which have antioxidant effects that may reduce oxidative stress. —Amy Brownstein, Verywell Health, 1 Oct. 2025

It’s formulated with ingredients like tocopherol (vitamin E), bisabolol, and glycerin to help hydrate and soothe. —Iman Balagam, Vogue, 9 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

toco- (combining form from Greek tókos "childbirth, act of giving birth [of animals]") + Greek phérein "to carry, bring, bring about, produce" + -ol entry 1; so named because it was found to be a dietary factor essential for reproduction in rats — more at dystocia, bear entry 2

Note: The name tocopherol was introduced in an article by the American anatomist and embryologist Herbert McLean Evans (1882-1971), the biochemist and nutritionist Gladys Anderson Emerson (1903-84), and the biochemist Oliver Huddleston Emerson ("The isolation from wheat germ oil of an alcohol, α-tocopherol, having the properties of Vitamin E," Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 113, no. 1 [February 1, 1936], pp. 319-32). The isolation of α-tocopherol is generally credited to Gladys Emerson.

First Known Use

circa 1936, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing tocopherol

• alpha-tocopherol

Rhymes for tocopherol

• cholesteryl
• sitosterol
• beryl
• feral
• karel
• peril
• seral
• sterile
• sterol
• carbaryl
• glyceryl
• imperil

Kids Definition

tocopherol

noun

to·​coph·​er·​ol tō-ˈkäf-ə-ˌrȯl 

-ˌrōl

: vitamin e

Medical Definition

tocopherol

noun

to·​coph·​er·​ol tō-ˈkäf-ə-ˌrȯl  -ˌrōl 

: any of several fat-soluble oily phenolic compounds with varying degrees of antioxidant vitamin E activity

especially : alpha-tocopherol