English
cholesterol
Cholesterol comes from French cholestérine ‘dated form of cholestérol’, from Ancient Greek στερεός ‘firm’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ster- ‘barren, infertile’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ster-‘barren, infertile’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστερεόςstereós‘firm’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentcholestérine‘dated form of cholestérol’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentcholestérol
- Englishearliest quotation 2013cholesterol
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ster-‘barren, infertile’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEστερεόςstereós‘firm’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentcholestérine‘dated form of cholestérol’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentcholestérol
- Englishearliest quotation 2013cholesterol
Earliest quotation: 2013, -August, Stents to Prevent Stroke: “As we age, the major arteries of our bodies…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ster- ‘barren, infertile’
still, start, street, strength, strongly, stronger, straw, stare, strongest, torpedo, starve, stern, throttle, strenuous, sterile, sterility, 17 more
through Ancient Greek στερεός ‘firm’
Today it means
noun 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.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ster- / cholesterol