metabolite

noun

me·​tab·​o·​lite mə-ˈta-bə-ˌlīt 

1

: a product of metabolism

2

: a substance essential to the metabolism of a particular organism or to a particular metabolic process

Examples of metabolite in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These metabolites can have their own environmental issues, but the analysis found that after 194 days the bacteria had removed the fluorine from three PFOS metabolites. —Michael Irving, New Atlas, 9 Feb. 2025

Moreover, mass spectrometers can measure drug metabolites. —Gary W. Miller, The Conversation, 3 Feb. 2025

Share [Findings] Humboldt penguins who nest in the open have more pollutant metabolites in their blood than do penguins who nest in guano-rich burrows. —Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 22 Jan. 2025

These bacteria need inorganic metabolites like carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur for their own metabolic reactions to survive. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 1 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

metabol(ic) or metabol(ism) + -ite entry 1

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

metabolite

noun

me·​tab·​o·​lite mə-ˈtab-ə-ˌlīt 

1

: a substance produced by metabolism

2

: a substance essential to a process of metabolism

Medical Definition

metabolite

noun

me·​tab·​o·​lite -ˌlīt 

1

: a product of metabolism:

a

: a metabolic waste usually more or less toxic to the organism producing it : excretion

b

: a product of one metabolic process that is essential to another such process in the same organism

c

: a metabolic waste of one organism that is markedly toxic to another : antibiotic

2

: a substance essential to the metabolism of a particular organism or to a particular metabolic process