serine

noun

ser·​ine ˈser-ˌēn How to pronounce serine (audio)
: a crystalline nonessential amino acid C3H7NO3 that occurs as a residue in many proteins

Examples of serine in a Sentence

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But their relative levels remained consistent before and after the chunks were plunged into the asteroid simulation—there was always more glycine than serine, and more serine than alanine. — WIRED, 31 Jan. 2023 Many types of cancer cells grew more slowly when deprived of two related amino acids, serine and glycine, and deleting p53 ramped up that effect. — Jocelyn Kaiser, Science | AAAS, 1 Apr. 2021

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary sericin + -ine entry 2

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of serine was in 1880

Rhymes for serine

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serinette
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Cite this Entry

“Serine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serine. Accessed 13 May. 2025.

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Medical Definition

serine

noun
ser·​ine ˈse(ə)r-ˌēn How to pronounce serine (audio)
: a nonessential amino acid C3H7NO3 that occurs especially as a structural part of many proteins and phosphatidylethanolamines and is a precursor of glycine
—abbreviation Ser

More from Merriam-Webster on serine

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about serine

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