secosteroid

From Latin secō (“to cut”) + English steroid.

• sek'ō-stēr'oyd
• Hyphenation: Sec‧o‧ster‧oid

secosteroid (plural secosteroids)

1. (organic chemistry) Any of the subclass of many terpenoid compounds of the tetracyclic steroid class that are structural relatives bearing a cleavage of one of the four rings of that parent class. The prototypical secosteroid is cholecalciferol, vitamin D3.

• secosteroidal