melatonin

CEFRB2

/ˌmɛləˈtəʊnɪn/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A hormone that helps control the body's sleep cycle.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    Any material similar in its chemistry and effect to the natural hormone.

Examples

  • Melatonin helps to regulate circadian rhythms.

  • The pineal gland secretes melatonin.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
3
Parts of speech
1
Citations
2

Also pronounced

  • /ˌmeləˈtəʉnɪn/
  • /ˌmɛləˈtoʊnɪn/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meaning

  1. A hormone, related to serotonin, that is secreted by the pineal gland, and stimulates colour change in the skin of reptiles, and is involved in the sleep and wake and reproductive cycles in mammals.

More examples

In context

  • How exactly melatonin relates to sleep is still not understood.

  • Melatonin production can be delayed or arrested by even brief flashes of bright light entering the eye, research has shown.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The doctor prescribed a daily blank supplement to help treat her insomnia.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From mela- + tone + -in, ultimately from Ancient Greek μέλας (mélas, “black, dark”).