n.
Pronunciation: ˌ sa-p ə - ' je-n ə n, s ə - ' pä-j ə -n ə n
Function: noun
Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary sapo nin + -genin (compound formed from another compound)
Date: circa 1862
: a nonsugar portion of a saponin that is typically obtained by hydrolysis, has either a complex terpenoid or a steroidal structure, and in the latter case forms a practicable starting point in the synthesis of steroid hormones