Atp

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The main energy-carrying molecule in living cells, made of adenosine bound to three phosphate groups
2. A nucleotide that cells use as their primary currency for storing and releasing chemical energy
3. Adenosine triphosphate, the compound whose phosphate bonds release energy that powers biological processes

Etymology: "Atp" is an initialism, a shorthand built from the first letters of three words: "at this point". Its appeal is practical rather than historical. Writers, especially in online chat, texts and messaging, needed a quick way to signal that a remark applies to the current stage of a conversation, discussion or project, and typing the letters A, T and P took far less effort than the full phrase. Like other initialisms that grew up in informal digital communication, it is written in capitals or lowercase with no punctuation between the letters, and readers are expected to recognise it from context. The phrase it abbreviates is an ordinary English expression, so the shorthand reads as a compact way of saying that, up to now, things stand as described.