What does "amino" mean?

1. (amino acid) a short way of saying 'amino acid', which is a small part of a protein. 2. (relating to an amine) describes a specific chemical group found in many organic molecules.

How do you use "amino"?

Often used in the plural form 'aminos' when referring to dietary supplements.

amino

n. · adj.

US //əˈminoʊ// UK //ɐmˈiːnəʊ// amino

1 amino acid (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Informal Science

a short way of saying 'amino acid', which is a small part of a protein.

a common shorthand for an amino acid, particularly in the context of nutrition or biochemistry.

Example

Athletes often take aminos to help their muscles recover after a hard workout.

Example

The supplement contains a balanced profile of essential aminos that the body cannot produce on its own.

Usage

Often used in the plural form 'aminos' when referring to dietary supplements.
- amino acid
2 relating to an amine (adj.)
C2 Proficiency Technical Science

describes a specific chemical group found in many organic molecules.

relating to or containing the amine functional group (-NH2) within a molecule.

Example

The amino group is a key part of the molecule's structure.

Example

The chemical properties of the compound are largely determined by the presence of the amino functional group attached to the carbon chain.

Origin

From the prefix amino-, from amine, from ammonia + -ine.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Last updated June 20, 2026