Meanings
plural tryptophans
- countableuncountablebiochemistryAn essential amino acid with an indole side chain; present in many foods, especially chocolate, oats, banana and milk; it is essential for normal growth and development and is the precursor of serotonin and niacin; any specific form of this compound, or any derivative of it.
The quickest way to raise serotonin levels again is to send more tryptophan into the brain, because serotonin is made from tryptophan.
1999, Matt Ridley, Genome, Harper Perennial, published 2004, page 1691 more example
Tryptophan is an amino acid found in many foods, including dairy and turkey, which is one of the reasons commonly given for why so many of us feel so sleepy after our Thanksgiving feasts.
2020 December 10, Anahad O’Connor, “How Foods May Affect Our Sleep”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
Synonyms & antonyms
nounan amino acid that occurs in proteins; is essential for growth and normal metabolism; a precursor of niacin
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekφαίνω“to appear”
- GermanTryptophan
- Englishtryptophan
From German Tryptophan, from Ancient Greek φαίνω (phaínō, “to appear”).
More words from German, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian триптофан
- триптофан (triptofan)essential amino acid
Catalan triptòfan
- triptòfanessential amino acid
Chinese Mandarin 色氨酸
- 色氨酸 (sè'ānsuān)essential amino acid
Czech tryptofan
- tryptofanessential amino acid
Finnish tryptofaani
- tryptofaaniessential amino acid
French tryptophane
- tryptophaneessential amino acid
German Tryptophan
- Tryptophanessential amino acid
Greek θρυπτοφάνη
- θρυπτοφάνη (thryptofáni)essential amino acid
Hungarian triptofán
- triptofánessential amino acid
Japanese トリプトファン
- トリプトファン (toriputofan)essential amino acid
Persian تریپتوفان
- تریپتوفان (teriptofân)essential amino acid
Polish tryptofan
- tryptofanessential amino acid
Portuguese triptofano
- triptofanoessential amino acid
Romanian triptofan
- triptofanessential amino acid
Russian триптофа́н
- триптофа́н (triptofán)essential amino acid
Spanish triptófano
- triptófanoessential amino acid
Swedish tryptofan
- tryptofanessential amino acid
Thai ทริปโตเฟน
- ทริปโตเฟนessential amino acid
Cite this entry
tryptophan. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tryptophan
“tryptophan.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tryptophan. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tryptophan,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tryptophan.
Source: tryptophan on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.