collagen

noun col·la·gen \ˈkä-lə-jən\

: a substance that occurs naturally in the bodies of people and animals and is often put into creams and other products that are sold to make a person's skin smoother and less wrinkled

Full Definition of COLLAGEN

: any of a group of fibrous proteins that occur in vertebrates as the chief constituent of connective tissue fibrils and in bones and yield gelatin and glue upon boiling with water

— col·lag·e·nous \kə-ˈla-jə-nəs\ adjective

See collagen defined for English-language learners

See collagen defined for kids

Origin of COLLAGEN

Greek kolla + International Scientific Vocabulary -gen

First Known Use: circa 1865

Medical Dictionary

collagen

noun col·la·gen \ˈkäl-ə-jən\

Medical Definition of COLLAGEN

: an insoluble fibrous protein of vertebrates that is the chief constituent of the fibrils of connective tissue (as in skin and tendons) and of the organic substance of bones and yields gelatin and glue on prolonged heating with water

—col·la·gen·ic \ˌkäl-ə-ˈjen-ik\ adjective

—col·lag·e·nous \kə-ˈlaj-ə-nəs\ adjective