Histamine
//ˈhɪstəmiːn// noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An amine, C₅H₉N₃, formed by decarboxylation of histidine, that causes dilatation of capillaries, contraction of smooth muscle, and stimulation of gastric acid secretion; it is released during allergic reactions. countable, uncountable
"Mellanby and Twort have isolated from the fæces a bacillus which is able to produce from one of the amino acids normally formed in digestion of proteins a highly active body, histamine."
- 2 amine formed from histidine that stimulates gastric secretions and dilates blood vessels; released by the human immune system during allergic reactions wordnet
Example
More examples"Mellanby and Twort have isolated from the fæces a bacillus which is able to produce from one of the amino acids normally formed in digestion of proteins a highly active body, histamine."
Etymology
From hist(idine) + -amine.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.