Dictionary

chitin en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• kīʹtĭn
• /ˈkaɪtɪn/ (US)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈkʌɪtɪn/ (UK)

Etymology

Etymology tree Ancient Greek χῐτών (khĭtṓn)der. Latin chitōnder. French chitinebor. English chitin From French chitine, from Latin chitōn (“mollusk”), from Ancient Greek χιτών (khitṓn). See also chiton.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A complex polysaccharide, a polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in the exoskeletons of arthropods and in the cell walls of fungi; thought to be responsible for some forms of asthma in humans.
   • Chitin usually occurs throughout Invertebrates in the form of an investment to the outermost cellular layer or ectoderm. 1880, Arthur Gamgee, A Text-book of the Physiological Chemistry of the Animal Body, Macmillan, page 299:
   • The robot’s energy source is the sugar in the polysaccharide called chitin that makes up a fly’s exoskeleton. 2004 September 11, New Scientist, page 19:

Forms

Deriveds

polychitin · chitinolysis · chitinoid · chitinize · chitinous · chitinlike · chitinase · chitinaceous · chitinless · pseudochitin · lipochitin · chitinization

Synonyms

entomolin

Translations (34)

uk хіти́н (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · hy խիտին (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · ko 갑각소 (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · ja キチン (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · id kitin (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · ta கைட்டின் (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · th ไคทิน (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · fr chitine (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · oc quitina (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · sh hitin (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · ca quitina (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · cmn 幾丁質 /几丁质 (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · la chitinum (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · uz xitin (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · tr kitin (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · fi kitiini (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · bg хитин (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · fa کیتین (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · hi कठिनि (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · de Chitin (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · ru хити́н (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · mk хитин (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · es quitina (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · pt quitina (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · ms kitin (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · cs chitin (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · ko 키틴 (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · th ไคติน (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · eo kitino (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · ro chitină (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · cmn 甲殼素 /甲壳素 (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · kk хитин (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · kn ಕೈಟಿನ್ (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi) · it chitina (polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in arthropod and fungi)