amyloid

noun

am·​y·​loid ˈa-mə-ˌlȯid 

: a waxy translucent substance consisting primarily of protein that is deposited in some animal organs and tissues under abnormal conditions (such as Alzheimer's disease) compare beta-amyloid

amyloid adjective

Examples of amyloid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The approach curbed the formation of amyloid plaques. —Byjocelyn Kaiser, science.org, 12 Sep. 2024

Both drugs remove amyloid from the brains of Alzheimer's patients. —Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY, 30 July 2024

By age 55, participants with two APOE4 copies were accumulating more amyloid, a protein that forms plaques in the brain that signal Alzheimer’s, than those with just one copy of another form of APOE—the APOE3 allele. —Lauryn Higgins, Health, 6 June 2024

The misfolding leads to the formation of amyloid deposits in various tissues, including the heart. —Alyssa Hui, Verywell Health, 9 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing amyloid

• amyloid beta
• amyloid beta peptide
• amyloid beta protein
• beta-amyloid
• beta-amyloid peptide
• beta-amyloid protein

Medical Definition

amyloid

noun

am·​y·​loid

ˈam-ə-ˌlȯid

1

: a nonnitrogenous starchy food

2

: a waxy translucent substance consisting primarily of protein that is deposited in some animal organs and tissue under abnormal conditions (as in Alzheimer's disease) see beta-amyloid

amyloid adjective