Albumen

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈælbjʊmən/

Definitions

1. The transparent viscous fluid within eggs that encases the yolk can also refer to the protein-rich extract from egg whites, which nourishes developing embryos, and can denote a nutrient source in specific seeds during their early growth stages
2. Referring to both the clear, gelatinous substance in eggs surrounding the yolk, it also signifies a protein-rich material that aids in embryo development, as well as a nutritional reserve found in some seeds and nuts supporting germination
3. The clear, thick liquid found inside eggs that surrounds and protects the yolk ; a type of protein stored in certain seeds to provide nourishment during early plant growth

Etymology: Egg white is "albumen" in English, but the Latin it comes from was simply the word for whiteness. Latin "albus" meant "white," and the suffix "-men" forms nouns from verbs and adjectives, so "albumen" literally meant something like "the white stuff." The Romans applied it to egg white, and it also appeared in Late Latin as the name of an eye disease that clouds the eye with a white film. English borrowed the word in a medical sense. Late Middle English speakers used a form, "albuminium," for the clear fluid inside the eyeball between the cornea and lens, which is the aqueous humour, a meaning that reflects the same idea of whiteness and clarity. The sense of egg white came to dominate, and the plural "albumina" entered English as a separate learned borrowing from Late Latin.

Synonyms: egg white, protein