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melatonin definition

mela·to·nin (mel′ə tōnin)

noun

a hormone, CHNO, produced by the pineal body, that lightens skin pigmentation, inhibits estrus, etc.: its secretion is inhibited by sunlight

Etymology: mela(no)- + ton(ic) + -in

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:
melatonin Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • secrete: People with SAD may respond to a decrease in light by secreting more melatonin than people without SAD.

Preposition: at

  • night: Serotonin is further converted into melatonin at night to promote sleep.

Adjective modifier

  • exogenous: The efficacy and safety of exogenous melatonin for primary sleep disorders: A meta-analysis.

Modifies a noun

  • secretion: One case showed that propranolol, a melatonin secretion blocker, given in the morning helped lift SAD symptoms by shifting the circadian rhythm.

Noun used with modifier

  • hormone: It releases the hormone melatonin which acts on the ovaries to inhibit the estrus cycle.

Preposition: in

  • treatment: A new study has unlocked the key role of melatonin in the treatment of cancer.

Preposition: for

  • disorder: The efficacy and safety of exogenous melatonin for primary sleep disorders: A meta-analysis.
melatonin usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

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MLA Style

"melatonin." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/melatonin>

APA Style

melatonin. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/melatonin

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