heparin
English
Etymology
From Latin hepar (“liver”) + -in.
Pronunciation
Noun
heparin (countable and uncountable, plural heparins)
- (biochemistry, pharmacology) A compound occurring in the liver and other tissues which inhibits blood coagulation. A sulfur-containing polysaccharide, it is used as an anticoagulant in the treatment of thrombosis.
Derived terms
Translations
a glycosaminoglycan
References
- “heparin”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
- “heparin”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.