gamma-aminobutyric acid

[ gam-uhuh-mee-noh-byoo-tir-ik, -am-uh-noh- ]

noun

Origin of gamma-aminobutyric acid

1
First recorded in 1960–65; amino- + butyric acid

Words Nearby gamma-aminobutyric acid

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for gamma-aminobutyric acid

gamma-aminobutyric acid

/ (ˌɡæməəˌmiːnəuːbjʊˈtɪrɪk) /


noun
  1. the full name for GABA

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 gamma-aminobutyric acid

gamma-aminobutyric acid

[ găm′ə-ə-mē′nō-byōō-tîrĭk, -ăm′ə- ]


  1. An amino acid occurring in the brain as a neurotransmitter that acts to inhibit the transmission of nerve impulses. Certain antianxiety drugs, called benzodiazepines, mimic the actions of gamma-aminobutyric acid. Chemical formula: C4H9NO2.

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