: an anticoagulant extracted from the buccal glands of the medicinal leech
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebThe team also found that sulfated anophelins are more effective than hirudin, a blood-thinning molecule derived from the salivary juices of leeches, which is occasionally used in clinical settings. Vanessa Zainzinger, Science | AAAS, 10 Apr. 2018
Word History
Etymology
from Hirudin, a trademark
First Known Use
1905, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
hirudin
noun
hi·ru·din hir-ˈüd-ᵊn ˈhir-(y)əd-ən
: an anticoagulant extracted from the buccal glands of a leech