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

By the age of 65, almost all members of this group had abnormal levels of a protein called amyloid—high amounts of which is tied to Alzheimer’s—in their cerebrospinal fluid, and 75 percent of them showed abnormal amyloid levels in brain scans. —Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 May 2024

By 65, almost all had abnormal levels of a protein called amyloid that forms plaques in the brain, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s. —Pam Belluck, New York Times, 6 May 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