Zein

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of protein derived from corn, which functions as a storage nutrient and is utilized in both culinary and industrial applications
2. A protein obtained from corn that acts as a storage molecule and is employed in food manufacturing as well as various industrial processes
3. A protein sourced from maize that serves as a nutrient reserve and is used in food products and industrial applications

Etymology: Zein is named after the plant that yields it. Its base, "Zea," is the scientific genus name for corn (maize), a Latinized coinage in modern botany, and "-in" is the standard chemical suffix used for proteins and other organic substances. Put together, the name simply means "the corn protein," with no older everyday word behind it. The substance itself is a prolamin, a class of proteins that plants store as energy reserves in their seeds. Corn stores large amounts of it in its endosperm, and because it is largely insoluble in water, it can be separated from the rest of the grain relatively cleanly. That practical property is why it became useful in industry, from coatings and adhesives to food ingredients.