Glutamate
/ˈɡluːtəmeɪt/noun
A salt or anion derived from glutamic acid, an amino acid found naturally in many foods.
Did you know?Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda identified glutamate as the source of umami in kombu seaweed and helped create monosodium glutamate in 1908.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*glei-
“To stick or adhere; a reconstructed root associated with sticky substances”
Classical Latin
Latin
glūten
“Glue or a sticky binding substance”
16th Century
Scientific Latin
glutinum
“Glue; a substance capable of binding things together”
19th Century
New Latin
glutamicus
“Relating to glutamic acid, named from gluten because of its initial association with wheat gluten”
19th Century
English
glutamic acid
“An amino acid identified in protein materials, including wheat gluten”
20th Century
English
glutamate
“A salt or ion derived from glutamic acid, including monosodium glutamate”