carotenoid

noun

ca·​rot·​en·​oid kə-ˈrä-tə-ˌnȯid 

variants or less commonly carotinoid

: any of various usually yellow to red pigments (such as carotenes) found widely in plants and animals and characterized chemically by a long aliphatic polyene chain composed of eight isoprene units

carotenoid adjective

Examples of carotenoid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Nearly all birds with bright red, orange, and yellow feathers or bills use a group of pigments called carotenoids to produce their colors. —Simon Griffith, JSTOR Daily, 5 Dec. 2024

Cardinals, for instance, get their bright red feathers from snacking on berries and seeds that contain naturally occurring pigments called carotenoids. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Nov. 2024

Load up on Leafy Greens: Include leafy greens, which are rich in folate, vitamin E and carotenoids. —Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 22 Jan. 2025

The ones that come in the punchiest colors—dark leafy greens, berries, apples, tomatoes, carrots—are especially loaded with phytochemicals (a.k.a. plant chemicals) like polyphenols and carotenoids, which are powerhouse antioxidants. —Erica Sloan, SELF, 18 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

carotenoid

noun

ca·​rot·​en·​oid

variants also carotinoid

kə-ˈrät-ᵊn-ˌȯid 

: any of various usually yellow to red pigments (as carotenes) found widely in plants and animals and characterized chemically by a long aliphatic polyene chain composed of eight isoprene units

carotenoid adjective