What does "epinephrine" mean?

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.

How do you pronounce "epinephrine"?

Pronounced //ˌɛp.ɪˈnɛ.fɹɪn//.

Epinephrine

Q: What is a synonym for "epinephrine"?

Common synonyms include: adrenaline, 4, 5-β-trihydroxy-n-methylphenethylamine, adrenalin, adrenalin, adrenaline.

//ˌɛp.ɪˈnɛ.fɹɪn// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1
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. countable, uncountable
"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."
2
a catecholamine secreted by the adrenal medulla in response to stress (trade name Adrenalin); stimulates autonomic nerve action wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

adrenaline 4 5-β-trihydroxy-n-methylphenethylamine adrenalin adrenalin adrenaline

Example

More examples

"Epinephrine can be administered through an auto-injector."

Etymology

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

Related phrases

adrenergic receptor

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.