vitamin A: Meaning and Definition of

vitamin A

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. a yellow, fat-soluble, solid terpene alcohol, CHO, obtained from carotene and occurring in green and yellow vegetables, egg yolk, etc.: essential to growth, the protection of epithelial tissue, and the prevention of night blindness. Also called

vitamin A2

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. a yellow oil, CHO, similar to vitamin A, obtained from fish liver.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.