tryptophanPronunciation: /ˈtrɪptəfan/Definition of tryptophan noun [mass noun] Biochemistry an amino acid which is a constituent of most proteins. It is an essential nutrient in the diet of vertebrates. An indole derivative; chemical formula: C8H6NCH2CH(NH2)COOH Origin: late 19th century: from tryptic 'relating to trypsin' + Greek phainein 'appear'tryptophan in other Oxford dictionaries Definition of tryptophan in the US English dictionary
