vitamin Bc

3.5

A substance your body needs to make new cells, especially during pregnancy

noun
/ˈvaɪtəmɪn bi si/

Archaic

: vitamina Bc

Leafy green vegetables are a rich natural source of vitamin Bc.

Examples

Doctors recommend vitamin Bc supplements for women planning pregnancy to help prevent birth defects.
She takes a daily supplement of vitamin Bc.
A deficiency in vitamin Bc can lead to anemia and problems in cell division.
Leafy green vegetables are a rich natural source of vitamin Bc.
Is vitamin Bc important for pregnant women?
Doctors recommend vitamin Bc supplements for women planning pregnancy to help prevent birth defects.
A deficiency in vitamin Bc can lead to anemia and problems in cell division.

Synonyms

folic acid

vsvitamin Bc

Specialized

8 3.0

A B vitamin that helps the body make new cells and prevents birth defects in early pregnancy

is an alternate name for the vitamin rather than the treatment label

folate

vsvitamin Bc

Specialized

5 3.6

A B vitamin that helps the body make new cells and is in leafy greens

is the named form used in supplements and medical advice

folacin

vsvitamin Bc

Specialized

1 6.8

A B vitamin that helps the body make new cells and blood

is the modern common name rather than the older label

vitamin M

vsvitamin Bc

Archaic

1 3.3

A vitamin needed for making new cells and preventing anemia

is the alternative common name used in general health contexts

pteroylmonoglutamic acid

vsvitamin Bc

Specialized

1 9.9

A B vitamin, also called folic acid, needed for cells to grow and make new cells

is the general name for the vitamin rather than a specific form

pteroylglutamic acid

vsvitamin Bc

Specialized

5.5

A B vitamin needed for cells to grow and make new cells

is the familiar name used in everyday health advice rather than technical terms

Surface Forms

vitamin Bc singular

vitamin Bcs plural

Morphology

vitamin + Bc

Although 'vitamin' signals a nutrient category, the token 'Bc' is not a meaningful lexical element for learners (and is not defined here), so the specific referent 'folic acid' cannot be derived from the parts. The combination functions as an arbitrary label/name rather than a compositional phrase, so a B1 learner who only knows the constituents would not predict the meaning.

Etymology

The name vitamin Bc may come from putting together vitamin B, the group of B vitamins, and the letter c to show its link to 'cells' and new cell growth. That's why vitamin Bc refers to folic acid, the B vitamin that helps make new cells and is especially important during pregnancy.