Meanings
nouncathelin (uncountable)
- uncountablebiochemistryThe highly-conserved domain in all cathelicidin peptides
Altogether, cathelicidins comprise an N-terminal cathelin domain and a C-terminal cationic antimicrobial domain, which is activated upon cleavage.
2015 April 2, Babatunji Emmanuel Oyinloye et al., “Reactive Oxygen Species, Apoptosis, Antimicrobial Peptides and Human Inflammatory Diseases”, in Pharmaceuticals, volume 8, →DOI
Origin
Blend of cathepsin L + inhibitor, as coined in 1989.
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
cathelin. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cathelin
MLA
“cathelin.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cathelin. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cathelin,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cathelin.
Source: cathelin on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.