keratin
noun
ker·a·tin
| \ ˈker-ə-tən
\
\
Definition of keratin
: any of various sulfur-containing fibrous proteins that form the chemical basis of horny epidermal tissues (such as hair and nails)
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Other Words from keratin
keratinous
\ kə-ˈra-tə-nəs
\
adjective
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adjective
Examples of keratin in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Salon keratin treatments often claim to be free of the f-word too. — Olivia Fleming & Jenna Rosenstein, Harper's BAZAAR, "The Ultimate Guide to Clean Beauty," 12 Aug. 2019 As for the whale’s bristly baleen, these fibers and plates are flexible and resistant to fracture thanks to high levels of keratin. — Sarah Keartes, National Geographic, "How a humpback whale ended up with a sea lion in its mouth," 30 July 2019 But there has been no proof there is a medicinal benefit from the horns, which are made of keratin, the same component of human hair and nails. — Washington Post, "Vietnam confiscates smuggled rhino horns worth $4 million," 30 July 2019 Eyeko's fan-favorite mascara delivers on drama, volume and curl while conditioning with keratin and shea butter. — Karina Hoshikawa, refinery29.com, "Net-a-Porter Is Having A 24-Hour Beauty Flash Sale — Here's What To Buy," 25 July 2019 Its scales are made of keratin and are used in traditional medicines. — Fox News, "Singapore seizes 8.8 tons of elephant ivory in record $48 million bust," 23 July 2019 Its scales are made of keratin and are ground up to use in traditional medicines. — Washington Post, "Singapore seizes tons of elephant tusks, pangolin scales," 23 July 2019 Services offered include color, cuts, extension, weaves, wigs, crochet, eyelash extensions, keratin treatments, relaxers, perms, makeup, men’s and kid cuts, massage, and more. — Quoron Walker, courant.com, "TouchByJ Hair by Jeicoby Salon Celebrates Four Years, Expands," 19 July 2019 Inside the feather’s barbules, layers of melanosomes and a type of the structural protein keratin can scatter incoming light in such a way that only certain colors reflect back out. — Michael Greshko, National Geographic, "First blue feathers found on a fossilized bird," 25 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'keratin.' 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 keratin
keratin
noun
ker·a·tin
| \ ˈker-ət-ən
\
\
Medical Definition of keratin
: any of various sulfur-containing fibrous proteins that form the chemical basis of horny epidermal tissues (as hair and nails) and are typically not digested by enzymes of the gastrointestinal tract — see pseudokeratin