secosteroid

Sec·o·ster·oid
S1E1C3O1S1T1E1R1O1I1D2

noun

Any of the subclass of many terpenoid compounds of the tetracyclic steroid class that are structural relatives bearing a cleavage of one of the four rings of that parent class. The prototypical secosteroid is cholecalciferol, vitamin D3.

OriginEnglish steroid ← Ancient Greek εἶδος (eîdos) ← Proto-Hellenic *wéidos →
Scrabble 14
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Meanings

nounsecosteroid (plural secosteroids)

plural secosteroids

  1. chemistryAny of the subclass of many terpenoid compounds of the tetracyclic steroid class that are structural relatives bearing a cleavage of one of the four rings of that parent class. The prototypical secosteroid is cholecalciferol, vitamin D3.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*sek-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*sékh₁yeti
  3. Proto-Italic*sekaō
  4. Latinsecō
  5. Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰelh₃-
  6. Proto-Hellenic*kʰolā́
  7. Ancient Greekχολή (kholḗ)
  8. Proto-Indo-European*ster-
  9. Ancient Greekστερεός (stereós)
  10. Frenchcholestérine
  11. Frenchcholestéro
  12. Englishcholesterol
  13. Englishsterol
  14. Proto-Indo-European*weyd-
  15. Proto-Indo-European*wéydos
  16. Proto-Hellenic*wéidos
  17. Ancient Greekεἶδος (eîdos)
  18. Englishsteroid
  19. Englishsecosteroid

From Latin secō (“to cut”) + English steroid.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

secosteroid. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/secosteroid

MLA

“secosteroid.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/secosteroid. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “secosteroid,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/secosteroid.

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