Melittin
//mɛˈlɪt.ɪn// noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A peptide, containing 26 amino acids, which is present in bee venom and has been used experimentally as an antibacterial agent, especially against penicillin-resistant bacteria. countable, uncountable
"If enough bees sting an animal, the cardiotoxin component of melittin will work to arrest its heart."
Example
More examples"If enough bees sting an animal, the cardiotoxin component of melittin will work to arrest its heart."
Etymology
Borrowed from German Melittin, from Attic Greek μέλιττα (mélitta, “bee”) + -in, from German -in.
Related phrases
More for "melittin"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.