casein

Etymology

From French caséine, formed from Latin caseus (“cheese”) + -ine.

noun

1. (biochemistry) A protein present in both milk and in the seeds of leguminous plants
   It’s the clumping nature of the caseins that makes possible most thickened milk products, from yogurt to cheese. The whey proteins play a more minor role; they influence the texture of casein curds, and stabilize the milk foams on specialty coffees. 2004, Harold McGee, chapter 1, in On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, Scribner