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[vahy-tuh-min; British also vit-uh-min] /ˈvaɪ tə mɪn; British also ˈvɪt ə mɪn/
Also, vitamine
[vahy-tuh-min, -meen; British also vit-uh-min, -meen] /ˈvaɪ tə mɪn, -ˌmin; British also ˈvɪt ə mɪn, -ˌmin/ (Show IPA)
Origin of vitamin
1912; earlier vitamine < Latin vīt(a) life + amine; coined by C. Funk, who thought they were amines
Related forms
vitaminic, adjective Unabridged
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Examples from the Web for vitamin
Contemporary Examples
Historical Examples
  • Digestibility, as well as protein, mineral and vitamin requirements, must also be considered.

    How to Live Irving Fisher and Eugene Fisk

  • Well, we've now discovered that this vitamin can condition the human body to stay under water indefinitely.

  • Moreover, he had isolated a vitamin in this protein not found in any of man's present foods.

  • His mother thought he might be getting a cold and gave him vitamin pills and made him drink extra orange juice.

    Jerry's Charge Account Hazel Hutchins Wilson
British Dictionary definitions for vitamin


/ˈvɪtəmɪn; ˈvaɪ-/
Derived Forms
vitaminic, adjective
Word Origin
C20: vit- from Latin vīta life + -amin from amine; so named by Casimir Funk, who believed the substances to be amines
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for vitamin

1920, originally vitamine (1912) coined by Polish biochemist Casimir Funk (1884-1967), from Latin vita "life" (see vital) + amine, because they were thought to contain amino acids. The terminal -e formally was stripped off when scientists learned the true nature of the substance; -in was acceptable because it was used for neutral substances of undefined composition. The lettering system of nomenclature (Vitamin A, B, C, etc.) was introduced at the same time (1920).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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vitamin in Medicine

vitamin vi·ta·min (vī'tə-mĭn)

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
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vitamin in Science
Any of various organic compounds that are needed in small amounts for normal growth and activity of the body. Most vitamins cannot be synthesized by the body, but are found naturally in foods obtained from plants and animals. Vitamins are either water-soluble or fat-soluble. Most water-soluble vitamins, such as the vitamin B complex, act as catalysts and coenzymes in metabolic processes and energy transfer and are excreted fairly rapidly. Fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A, D, and E are necessary for the function or structural integrity of specific body tissues and membranes and are retained in the body.

Our Living Language  : Although it has been known for thousands of years that certain diseases can be treated with specific foods, the scientific link between vitamins and good health wasn't made until the early 1900s by Polish-born American biochemist Casimir Funk. While studying beriberi, a disease that causes depression, fatigue, and nerve damage, Funk discovered an organic compound in rice husks that prevents the illness. He named the compound vitamine, derived from the chemical name amine and the Latin word vita, "life," because vitamins are required for life and were originally thought to be amines. Funk's compound is now known as vitamin B1, or thiamine. His research and discovery led him, along with English biochemist Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins, to propose the vitamin hypothesis of deficiency, which stated that certain diseases, such as scurvy or rickets, are caused by dietary deficiencies and can be avoided by taking vitamins. Further research allowed scientists to isolate and identify the vitamins that we know today to be essential for human health. Vitamins include A, C, D, E, K, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, B6, B12, folic acid, biotin, and pantothenic acid. Vitamins are distinguished from minerals, such as calcium, iron, and magnesium, which are also essential for optimum health.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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