sialic
|si-a-lic|
/saɪˈælɪk/
relating to saliva / sialic acids
Etymology
'sialic' originates from New Latin and modern scientific usage, specifically from the combining form 'sial-' ultimately from Greek 'sialon', where 'sialon' meant 'saliva', plus the adjectival suffix '-ic' meaning 'relating to'.
'sialic' developed in scientific contexts from Greek 'sialon' → New Latin/Medieval Latin formations (e.g. 'sialicus') and was adopted into English scientific vocabulary in the 19th–20th centuries as 'sialic'.
Initially it meant 'of or relating to saliva'; over time, especially in biochemistry, its use has specialized to refer particularly to 'sialic acids' and related residues on glycoconjugates.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to or of the nature of saliva; salivary.
The study described the sialic glands and their secretions in detail.
Synonyms
Adjective 2
relating to sialic acids — a family of acidic sugars (neuraminic acid derivatives) commonly found as terminal residues on glycoproteins and glycolipids in animal tissues.
Sialic residues on the cell surface often influence cell–cell recognition; the paper examined how sialic modifications affect binding.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/22 10:35