Definition of "insulin" in English

noun

1. A polypeptide hormone that regulates carbohydrate metabolism (in various animals including humans).

   • Mommy said that Grandma's diabetes happened because her body stopped making its own insulin.
   • Ask a dozen persons to tell you what they know about insulin and you will get some surprising and contradictory answers. The truth is this: Insulin is not a cure for diabetes, but it is helping to prolong and gladden lives.
   • Nationally the average insulin price nearly tripled from 2002 through 2013, and prices have risen 10% or more a year since then, forcing many diabetics to ration their insulin.

2. Any exogenous preparation of this hormone for use as a medication.

   • The advent of insulin in the mid-20th century changed the lives of millions of people with diabetes.

3. (loosely) Any exogenous preparation of this hormone or its analogues for use as a medication.

   • A: What kind of insulin do you take? B: I use basal-bolus therapy, which in my case involves glargine and lispro.