metabolite

noun

me·​tab·​o·​lite mə-ˈta-bə-ˌlīt How to pronounce metabolite (audio)
1
: a product of metabolism
2
: a substance essential to the metabolism of a particular organism or to a particular metabolic process

Examples of metabolite in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Kyrgios, 31, provided a sample at June’s Mallorca Championships, which was confirmed to contain a metabolite of cocaine July 17 after testing. — James Hansen, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026 The 31-year-old provided a sample during an event in Spain on June 22, before the presence of benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, was found. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026 But when digestion slows, those carbohydrates can become depleted, causing microbes to break down more proteins instead and produce different metabolites that can enter the bloodstream. — Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies are trying to develop an oral version of noribogaine, ibogaine’s primary metabolite, and other companies are working on non-psychoactive derivatives. — Michelle Lhooq, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for metabolite

Word History

Etymology

metabol(ic) or metabol(ism) + -ite entry 1

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of metabolite was in 1877

Rhymes for metabolite

See All Rhymes for metabolite

Browse Nearby Words

metabolism
metabolite
metabolizability
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Metabolite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metabolite. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

metabolite

noun
me·​tab·​o·​lite mə-ˈtab-ə-ˌlīt How to pronounce metabolite (audio)
1
: a substance produced by metabolism
2
: a substance essential to a process of metabolism

Medical Definition

metabolite

noun
me·​tab·​o·​lite -ˌlīt How to pronounce metabolite (audio)
1
: a product of metabolism:
a
: a metabolic waste usually more or less toxic to the organism producing it : excretion
b
: a product of one metabolic process that is essential to another such process in the same organism
c
: a metabolic waste of one organism that is markedly toxic to another : antibiotic
2
: a substance essential to the metabolism of a particular organism or to a particular metabolic process

More from Merriam-Webster on metabolite

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about metabolite

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