English edit

 
Structure diagram of epinephrine

Etymology edit

From Ancient Greek ἐπι- (epi-, upon) + νεφρός (nephrós, kidney) + -ine.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

epinephrine (countable and uncountable, plural epinephrines)

  1. (biochemistry, organic chemistry, medicine) A catecholamine hormone and neurotransmitter; as a hormone, secreted by the adrenal gland in response to stress (when it stimulates the autonomic nervous system); as a neurotransmitter, synthesized from norepinephrine. It is also used as a medication.
    Synonym: adrenaline
    • 2023 November 1, “‘We’re sedating women with self-care’: how we became obsessed with wellness”, in The Guardian[1], →ISSN:
      At the ER, after deflating me with a cocktail of epinephrine, a steroid and an antihistamine, the doctors scolded me for not coming in more quickly: I could have died of asphyxiation.

Synonyms edit

  • (hormone and neurotransmitter): 4,5-β-trihydroxy-N-methylphenethylamine

Hypernyms edit

Derived terms edit

Translations edit

Further reading edit