tau

American  

[tou, taw, tahv, tawv] / taʊ, tɔ, tɑv, tɔv /

noun

1. the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet (T,τ ).

2. the consonant sound represented by this letter.

3. tav.

4. Physics. Also tauon tau lepton.

5. Also called tau protein.  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.

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tau British  

/ taʊ, tɔː /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of tau

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

Example Sentences

"Focusing on tanycyte health could be a way to improve tau clearance and limit disease progression."

From Science Daily • Mar. 8, 2026

At the same time, protecting the proteasome during periods of cellular stress could reduce the formation of harmful tau fragments.

From Science Daily • Mar. 3, 2026

The goal was to map the internal systems that control how tau accumulates inside brain cells.

From Science Daily • Mar. 3, 2026

The study also uncovered an unexpected link between mitochondrial problems and tau toxicity.

From Science Daily • Mar. 3, 2026

However, if T. tau and T. upsilon are subspecies, intergrades would be expected between the ranges of the two populations and not on the northeastern and southwestern periphery of their combined ranges.

From The Amphibians and Reptiles of Michoacán, México by Duellman, William E.