noun · 4 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
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UK:/ˈɪnsjʊlin/
UK:/ˈɪnʃʊlɪn/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:/ˈɪnsəlɪn/
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-South-African:/ˈɪnsəlɪn/
General-South-African:/ˈɪnʃʊlɪn/
CMU ARPABET:IH1 N S AH0 L AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A polypeptide hormone that regulates carbohydrate metabolism (in various animals including humans).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
Mommy said that Grandma's diabetes happened because her body stopped making its own insulin.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Any exogenous preparation of this hormone for use as a medication.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
The advent of insulin in the mid-20th century changed the lives of millions of people with diabetes.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Any exogenous preparation of this hormone or its analogues for use as a medication.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, countable, uncountable
Examples
A: What kind of insulin do you take? B: I use basal-bolus therapy, which in my case involves glargine and lispro.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
hormone secreted by the isles of Langerhans in the pancreas; regulates storage of glycogen in the liver and accelerates oxidation of sugar in cells
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
