vitamin

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: vit=a=min

CIDE DICTIONARY

vitamin, n. 

 any of several organic chemical substances not synthesized by an animal and required in small quantities for normal metabolism, present in and obtained from the natural foods eaten by the animal. Human vitamins are also produced synthetically, and taken in pure form or in mixtures, as dietary supplements. Deficiencies of specific vitamins lead to certain specific disorders, such as scurvy, caused by an insufficiency of vitamin C (ascorbic acid).
"Most vitamins act as coenzymes or precursors to coenzymes, and are not consumed for energy production or incorporated into structural units of the cell."  [PJC]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

vitamin, n. any of a group of organic compounds essential in small amounts for many living organisms to maintain normal health and development.

Idiom

vitamin A = RETINOL. vitamin B complex (or B vitamins) any of a group of vitamins which, although not chemically related, are often found together in the same foods. vitamin B1 = THIAMINE. vitamin B2 = RIBOFLAVIN. vitamin B6 = PYRIDOXINE. vitamin B12 = CYANOCOBALAMIN. vitamin C = ASCORBIC ACID. vitamin D any of a group of vitamins found in liver and fish oils, essential for the absorption of calcium and the prevention of rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. vitamin D2 = CALCIFEROL. vitamin D3 = CHOLECALCIFEROL. vitamin E = TOCOPHEROL. vitamin K any of a group of vitamins found mainly in green leaves and essential for the blood-clotting process. vitamin K1 = PHYLLOQUINONE. vitamin K2 = MENAQUINONE. vitamin M esp. US = FOLIC ACID.

Etymology

orig. vitamine f. L vita life + AMINE, because orig. thought to contain an amino acid

THESAURUS

vitamin

adermin, adjuvant, aneurin, antiberi-beri factor, ascorbic acid, axerophthol, biotin, carminative, carotene, cholecalciferol, choline, cobalamin, counterirritant, cryptoxanthin, cyanocobalamin, emmenagogue, ergocalciferol, expectorant, folic acid, hepatoflavin, hormone, inositol, lactoflavin, maturative, menadione, naphthoquinone, niacin, nicotinic acid, ovoflavin, pyridoxine, tocopherol, vasodilator, vitamin B, vitamin Bc, vitamin D, vitamin G, vitamin H, vitamin K, vitamin M