chitin

== English == === Etymology === From French chitine, from Latin chitōn (“mollusk”), from Ancient Greek χιτών (khitṓn). See also chiton. === Pronunciation === (UK) IPA(key): /ˈkʌɪtɪn/ enPR: kīʹtĭn, (US) IPA(key): /ˈkaɪtɪn/ Hyphenation: chi‧tin Rhymes: -aɪtɪn === Noun === chitin (countable and uncountable, plural chitins) (biochemistry) A complex polysaccharide, a polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in the exoskeletons of arthropods and in the cell walls of fungi; thought to be responsible for some forms of asthma in humans. Synonym: (dated) entomolin ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== ==== References ==== “chitin”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. Douglas Harper (2001–2026), “chitin”, in Online Etymology Dictionary. === Anagrams === itchin'