noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/kəˈlɛstəɹɒl/
/kəˈlɛstɹɒl/
/kəˈlɛstəɹäl/Dublin
/kəˈlɛstɹäl/Dublin
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:K AH0 L EH1 S T ER0 AO2 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:K AH0 L EH1 S T ER0 AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A sterol lipid synthesized by the liver and transported in the bloodstream to the membranes of all animal cells; it plays a central role in many biochemical processes and, as a lipoprotein that coats the walls of blood vessels, is associated with cardiovascular disease.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The level of cholesterol in the body.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
improve your cholesterol; lower your cholesterol
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
an animal sterol that is normally synthesized by the liver; the most abundant steroid in animal tissues
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: cholesterin
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: sterol, steroid alcohol
Narrower terms: HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ǵhelh3- Proto-Hellenic *kholā́ Ancient Greek χολή (kholḗ) Proto-Indo-European *ster-der. Ancient Greek στερεός (stereós) French cholestérine French cholestérolbor. English cholesterol Borrowed from French cholestérol.
Across languages
Translations
47 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
كُولِسْتِرُول
(kulistirūl)
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Belarusian:
халестэры́н
(xaljesterýn)
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Bulgarian:
холестеро́л
(holesteról)
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Bulgarian:
холестери́н
(holesterín)
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Catalan:
colesterol
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Chinese Mandarin:
膽固醇 /胆固醇
(dǎngùchún)
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Czech:
cholesterol
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Dutch:
cholesterol
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Esperanto:
kolesterolo
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Esperanto:
ĥolesterolo
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Finnish:
kolesteroli
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
French:
cholestérol
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Georgian:
ქოლესტერინი
(kolesṭerini)
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Georgian:
ქოლესტეროლი
(kolesṭeroli)
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
German:
Cholesterin
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Greek:
χοληστερίνη
(cholisteríni)
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Greek:
χοληστερόλη
(cholisteróli)
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Hawaiian:
naʻokoko
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Hungarian:
koleszterin
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Icelandic:
kólesteról
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Interlingua:
cholesterol
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Italian:
colesterolo
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Japanese:
コレステロール
(koresuterōru)
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Khmer:
កូលេស្តេរ៉ុល
(kouleisteerol)
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Korean:
콜레스테롤
(kolleseuterol)
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Korean:
콜레스테린
(kolleseuterin)
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Latin:
cholestērolum
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Latvian:
holesterīns
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Māori:
ngakototo
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Mongolian:
холестерин
(xolesterin)
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Navajo:
adił akʼah bił ałtahígíí
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Norwegian Bokmål:
kolesterol
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Norwegian Nynorsk:
kolesterol
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Persian:
کلسترول
(kolesterol)
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Polish:
cholesterol
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Portuguese:
colesterol
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Romanian:
colesterol
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Russian:
холестери́н
(xolesterín)
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Slovak:
cholesterol
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Slovene:
holesterol
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Spanish:
colesterol
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Swedish:
kolesterol
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Thai:
คอเลสเตอรอล
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Thai:
โคเลสเตอรอล
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Turkish:
kolesterol
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Ukrainian:
холестеро́л
(xolesteról)
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
Volapük:
kesterin
— an essential component of mammalian cell membranes
