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 biological cause of AD is linked to the accumulation of amyloid plaques, tau tangles, and synaptic loss in brain regions such as the hippocampus and cortex, which are critical for higher cognitive functions like memory retrieval. —Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 12 Mar. 2025

But the results of this study pose the question as to whether chronic inflammation is a more important factor in the onset of dementia than amyloid plaque accumulation. —New Atlas, 9 Mar. 2025

Multiple reports credit Fuller with the discovery of two brain abnormalities that are hallmark indicators of Alzheimer’s disease: neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques. —Kristen Rogers, CNN, 27 Feb. 2025

When people have Alzheimer’s disease, their brains slowly accumulate abnormal clumps of two proteins: amyloid and tau. —Amy Norton, SELF, 25 Feb. 2025

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

Rhymes for amyloid

• adenoid
• alkaloid
• amoeboid
• aneroid
• anthropoid
• arachnoid
• asteroid
• benzenoid
• carcinoid
• celluloid
• coronoid
• humanoid

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