myelin

M3Y4E1L1I1N1
/ˈmaɪəlɪn/

noun

A white, fatty material, composed of lipids and lipoproteins, that surrounds the axons of nerves.

Meanings

nounmyelin (countable and uncountable, plural myelins)

plural myelins

  1. countableuncountableanatomyA white, fatty material, composed of lipids and lipoproteins, that surrounds the axons of nerves.

    This gene controls the production of an insulating sleeve that wraps around neurons. Known as myelin, it is crucial for long-range communication in the brain.

    2018 December 13, Carl Zimmer, “Narrower Skulls, Oblong Brains: How Neanderthal DNA Still Shapes Us”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
    1 more example

    As the result of prolonged action of water upon myelin, bird's-nests-cells are also said to be produced, and we are certain we have seen, as the result of such prolonged action of water, the appearances thus compared.

    1868 January, Edmund Montgomery, “On the Formation of so-called Cells in Animal Bodies”, in The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, page 203

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna white fatty substance that forms a medullary sheath around the axis cylinder of some nerve fibers

Broader
Also see

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekμυελός (muelós)
  2. Englishmyelo-
  3. Englishmyelin

From myelo- + -in. From Ancient Greek μυελός (muelós, “marrow”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan mielina
  • mielinawhite, fatty material, composed of lipids and lipoproteins
Chinese Mandarin 髓磷脂, 髓鞘質 /髓鞘质
  • 髓磷脂white, fatty material, composed of lipids and lipoproteins
  • 髓鞘質 /髓鞘质white, fatty material, composed of lipids and lipoproteins
Czech myelin
  • myelinwhite, fatty material, composed of lipids and lipoproteins
Esperanto mjelino
  • mjelinowhite, fatty material, composed of lipids and lipoproteins
Finnish myeliini
  • myeliiniwhite, fatty material, composed of lipids and lipoproteins
French myéline
  • myélinewhite, fatty material, composed of lipids and lipoproteins
Irish miailin
  • miailinwhite, fatty material, composed of lipids and lipoproteins
Italian mielina
  • mielinawhite, fatty material, composed of lipids and lipoproteins
Portuguese mielina
  • mielinawhite, fatty material, composed of lipids and lipoproteins
Russian миели́н
  • миели́н (mijelín)white, fatty material, composed of lipids and lipoproteins
Spanish mielina
  • mielinawhite, fatty material, composed of lipids and lipoproteins

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

myelin. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/myelin

MLA

“myelin.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/myelin. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “myelin,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/myelin.

Source: myelin on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.