adrenaline

[ uh-dren-l-in, -een ]
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noun
  1. Biochemistry. epinephrine (def. 1).

  2. the feeling of excitement, alertness, and intensity caused by the release of epinephrine in the body:For adventure seekers, there are ungroomed, off-piste routes with deep snow offering lots and lots of adrenaline.

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Origin of adrenaline

1
First recorded in 1900–05; adrenal + -ine1

Words Nearby adrenaline

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How to use adrenaline in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for adrenaline

adrenaline

adrenalin

/ (əˈdrɛnəlɪn) /


noun
  1. a hormone that is secreted by the adrenal medulla in response to stress and increases heart rate, pulse rate, and blood pressure, and raises the blood levels of glucose and lipids. It is extracted from animals or synthesized for such medical uses as the treatment of asthma. Chemical name: aminohydroxyphenylpropionic acid; formula: C 9 H 13 NO 3: US name: epinephrine

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for adrenaline

adrenaline

[ ə-drĕnə-lĭn ]


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for adrenaline

adrenaline

[ (uh-dren-l-in) ]


A hormone secreted by the adrenal glands that helps the body meet physical or emotional stress (see endocrine system).

Notes for adrenaline

Adrenaline plays a very large role in the fight or flight reaction, which refers to the various processes that occur within the body when it is confronted with some form of mental or physical stress.

Notes for adrenaline

Figuratively, the term adrenaline is used in speaking of a high state of excitement: “When the race began, the adrenaline really started pumping.”

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.