/duy'oz jen"in, duy oz"jeuh nin/ , n. Biochem.
a crystalline compound, C 27 H 42 O 3 , the aglycone of dioscin: used in the synthesis of steroidal hormones, as of progesterone.
[ Diosgenin (1936), equiv to NL Dios ( corea ) the yam genus from which it was first extracted, irreg. after Dioscorides 1st-century A.D. Greek physician + G -genin; see -GEN, -IN 2 ]