# amino acid

> English word · Noun · IPA /əˈminoʊ ˈæsɪd/

## Definitions
1. Any organic compound containing both an amino and a carboxylic acid functional group.
2. Any of the twenty naturally occurring α-amino acids (having the amino, and carboxylic acid groups on the same carbon atom), and a variety of side chains, that combine, via peptide bonds, to form proteins.

## Etymology
See amine and acid. Likely a calque of German Aminosäure, which is attested earlier.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/amino-acid