tau

[ tou, taw tahv, tawv ]

noun

1. the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet (T, τ ).
2. the consonant sound represented by this letter.
3. tav.
4. Also tau·on []. Physics. tau lepton.
5. Also called tau protein. Biochemistry. a protein that is an important component of nerve cells, helping to maintain their function and structure: in the brain, distortions in the protein’s molecular shape is associated with the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

tau

/ taʊ; tɔː /

noun

1. the 19th letter in the Greek alphabet (Τ, τ), a consonant, transliterated as t

Word History and Origins

Origin of tau¹

1250–1300; Middle English < Latin < Greek taû < Semitic; tav

Word History and Origins

Origin of tau¹

C13: via Latin from Greek, of Semitic origin; see tav

Example Sentences

Such measurements turned out to be inconclusive, especially because tau proteins free-floating in blood are usually fragmented.

From Science Daily

"Our study found early suspicions of memory problems by both participants and the people who knew them well were linked to higher levels of tau tangles in the brain."

From Science Daily

Among the whole group, about one-third of the people met the criteria for preclinical Alzheimer's based on levels of biomarkers for the disease -- amyloid plaques and tau tangles -- in the brain imaging and cerebrospinal fluid.

From Science Daily

The focus of most research on Alzheimer's disease to date has been targeting accumulations of two proteins: amyloid beta and tau.

From Science Daily

In one, antibodies attack a cell-surface protein on neurons called IgLON5, causing abnormal sleep patterns and a buildup of tau, the protein that forms insoluble tangles in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.

From Science Magazine