ALL meanings of cholesterol
cho·les·ter·ol
C c - uncountable noun cholesterol Cholesterol is a substance that exists in the fat, tissues, and blood of all animals. Too much cholesterol in a person's blood can cause heart disease. 3
- noun cholesterol a sterol found in all animal tissues, blood, bile, and animal fats: a precursor of other body steroids. A high level of cholesterol in the blood is implicated in some cases of atherosclerosis, leading to heart disease. Formula: C27H45OH 3
- noun cholesterol a white, crystalline sterol, C27H45OH, found esp. in animal fats, blood, nerve tissue, and bile: a precursor of steroid hormonesand, if present in the blood in excessive amounts, a factor in atherosclerosis 3
- noun cholesterol Cholesterol is a white crystalline substance that exists in the fat, tissues, and blood of all animals. Too much cholesterol in a person's blood can cause heart disease. 3
- noun cholesterol A compound of the sterol type found in most body tissues, including the blood and the nerves. Cholesterol and its derivatives are important constituents of cell membranes and precursors of other steroid compounds, but high concentrations in the blood (mainly derived from animal fats in the diet) are thought to promote atherosclerosis. 1
- noun cholesterol a sterol, C 27 H 46 O, that occurs in all animal tissues, especially in the brain, spinal cord, and adipose tissue, functioning chiefly as a protective agent in the skin and myelin sheaths of nerve cells, a detoxifier in the bloodstream, and as a precursor of many steroids: deposits of cholesterol form in certain pathological conditions, as gallstones and atherosclerotic plaques. 1
- noun cholesterol the commercial form of this compound, obtained from the spinal cord of cattle, used chiefly as an emulsifying agent in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, and in the synthesis of vitamin D. 1
- noun cholesterol substance in body 1
- noun cholesterol substance in food 1
- noun cholesterol (biochemistry) 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. 0