Etymology Map
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Adrenaline

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a hormone released in stress that raises heart rate; excitement

Where does the word "adrenaline" come from? It comes from Latin ad renes, passing through American English before entering English (1900s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
ad renes
Latin · classical
"near the kidneys"
'near the kidneys', describing the adrenal glands on top of them
2
Stage 2 of 3
Adrenalin
American English · 1901
"adrenal hormone"
the Japanese chemist Jōkichi Takamine isolated the pure hormone in New York around 1900, and Parke-Davis trademarked it as Adrenalin in 1901; US medicine instead uses 'epinephrine', a name John Jacob Abel had coined in 1899
3
Stage 3 of 3
adrenaline
English · 1900s
"stress hormone; excitement"
the standard British name, and 'adrenaline rush' for excitement dates from the later 1900s
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Read the full story

Adrenaline’s story begins in Latin: ad renes meant “near the kidneys.” 'near the kidneys', describing the adrenal glands on top of them. By 1901, the word had taken hold in American English as Adrenalin. The Japanese chemist Jōkichi Takamine isolated the pure hormone in New York around 1900, and Parke-Davis trademarked it as Adrenalin in 1901; US medicine instead uses 'epinephrine', a name John Jacob Abel had coined in 1899. It reached English by 1900s as adrenaline. The standard British name, and 'adrenaline rush' for excitement dates from the later 1900s. Today, adrenaline means a hormone released in stress that raises heart rate; excitement.