*protein*

n. [ L. lac, lactis, milk + E. protein. ] (Physiol. Chem.) A peculiar albuminous body considered a normal constituent of milk. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. (spurious) my^kos mucus (L. mucus) + E. protein. ] (Biol.) The protoplasmic matter of which bacteria are composed. [ archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Physiol. Chem.) In chemical analysis, the total nitrogenous material in vegetable or animal substances, obtained by multiplying the total nitrogen found by a factor, usually 6.25, assuming most proteids to contain approximately 16 per cent of nitrogen. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ Gr. prw^tos first: cf. prwtei^on the first place. ] (Physiol. Chem.) any polymer of an amino acid joined by peptide (amide) bonds. Most natural proteins have alpha-amino acids as the monomeric constituents. All classical enzymes are composed of protein, and control most of the biochemical transformations carrie dout in living cells. They may be soluble, as casein, albumins, and other globular proteins, or insoluble (e. g. "structural proteins"), as collagen or keratin. "albumin", an older term for protein, is now used primarily to refer to certain specific soluble globular proteins found in eggs or blood serum, e.g. bovine serum albumin, the main soluble protein in teh serum of cattle, used as an enzymatically inert protein in biochemical research. In the 1913 dictionary, protein was defined as: “A body now known as alkali albumin, but originally considered to be the basis of all albuminous substances, whence its name.” [ 1913 Webster + PJC ]

Protein crystal. (Bot.) See Crystalloid, n., 2. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Physiol. Chem.) Of or related to protein; albuminous; proteid. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Proteinaceuos. [ 1913 Webster ]