glutamate
noun
glu·ta·mate
| \ ˈglü-tə-ˌmāt
\
\
Definition of glutamate
: a salt or ester of glutamic acid
specifically
: a salt or ester of levorotatory glutamic acid that functions as an excitatory neurotransmitter — compare monosodium glutamate
Examples of glutamate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Foods that contain a lot of glutamate can be called umami: Parmesan cheese, mushrooms, chicken, beef and pork all can take on the rich flavor of umami. — Heloise, Washington Post, "Hints From Heloise: Clothes for class," 15 Aug. 2019 The nitrogen level indicates a condiment’s umami oomph, which is based on amino acids (mostly glutamates) naturally released during the aging process. — Andrea Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, "From the motherland to the U.S., a Vietnamese fish sauce with umami oomph," 21 Aug. 2019 Her finding also engendered hope that ketamine, a drug that targets glutamate, might help people in that group. — Emily Underwood, Science | AAAS, "Brain scans could help personalize treatment for people who are depressed or suicidal," 20 Aug. 2019 Required fields are indicated by an asterisk (*) That set expressed the gene for an excitatory signaling molecule, glutamate. — Kelly Servick, Science | AAAS, "Sweet, fatty foods could remodel the brain to drive overeating," 27 June 2019 Then the biofilms would stop expanding until the glutamate was replenished. — Quanta Magazine, "Bacteria Use Brainlike Bursts of Electricity to Communicate," 5 Sep. 2017 Alcohol also affects neurotransmitters such as glutamate, which governs brain function. — Natasha Lavender, SELF, "What to Do if Your Friend Is Passed Out Drunk," 26 Feb. 2019 Most of the RNAs that were under-edited in autistic brains relative to control brains come from genes that are involved in the transmission of glutamate, a vital neurotransmitter, across synapses. — Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, "Autism involves a large-scale reduction in RNA editing," 21 Dec. 2018 An imbalance in neurotransmitters such as dopamine and glutamate might also make a person more susceptible to this mental health condition. — Nina Bahadur, SELF, "9 Facts to Know About Schizophrenia, Which Is Way Too Misunderstood," 15 Sep. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'glutamate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for glutamate
glutamate
noun
glu·ta·mate
| \ ˈglüt-ə-ˌmāt
\
\
Medical Definition of glutamate
: a salt or ester of glutamic acid
specifically
: a salt or ester of levorotatory glutamic acid that functions as an excitatory neurotransmitter — see monosodium glutamate