Meanings
plural leucines
- countableuncountablebiochemistryAn essential amino acid, C₆H₁₃NO₂, isomeric with isoleucine, found in most animal proteins; it is essential for growth in children.
Thus, leucine is already being seen as a pharmaconutrient of great relevance for the supplementary feeding of malnourished and frail elderly and for specific subpopulations.
2015 October 15, “Buffalo Cheese Whey Proteins, Identification of a 24 kDa Protein and Characterization of Their Hydrolysates: In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion”, in PLOS ONE, →DOISynonyms: Leu
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn essential amino acid, C₆H₁₃NO₂, isomeric with isoleucine, found in most animal proteins; it is essential for growth in children.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*lewk-
- Proto-Indo-European*lewkós
- Proto-Hellenic*leukós
- Ancient Greekλευκός (leukós)
- Englishleucine
Derived from Ancient Greek λευκός (leukós, “white”) + -ine, equivalent to leuco- + -ine.
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian левцин
- левцин (levcin)essential amino acid; C6H13NO2
Catalan leucina
- leucinaessential amino acid; C6H13NO2
Chinese Mandarin 亮氨酸
- 亮氨酸 (liàng'ānsuān)essential amino acid; C6H13NO2
Czech leucin
- leucinessential amino acid; C6H13NO2
Danish leucin
- leucinessential amino acid; C6H13NO2
Esperanto leŭcino
- leŭcinoessential amino acid; C6H13NO2
Finnish leusiini
- leusiiniessential amino acid; C6H13NO2
French leucine
- leucineessential amino acid; C6H13NO2
German Leucin
- Leucinessential amino acid; C6H13NO2
Greek λευκίνη
- λευκίνη (lefkíni)essential amino acid; C6H13NO2
Hungarian leucin
- leucinessential amino acid; C6H13NO2
Italian leucina
- leucinaessential amino acid; C6H13NO2
Japanese ロイシン
- ロイシン (roishin)essential amino acid; C6H13NO2
Persian لوسین
- لوسین (lusin)essential amino acid; C6H13NO2
Polish leucyna
- leucynaessential amino acid; C6H13NO2
Portuguese leucina
- leucinaessential amino acid; C6H13NO2
Romanian leucină
- leucinăessential amino acid; C6H13NO2
Russian лейци́н
- лейци́н (lejcín)essential amino acid; C6H13NO2
Spanish leucina
- leucinaessential amino acid; C6H13NO2
Swedish leucin
- leucinessential amino acid; C6H13NO2
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with leucine
All rhymes →Cite this entry
leucine. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leucine
“leucine.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leucine. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “leucine,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leucine.
Source: leucine on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.