abbreviation of adenosine triphosphate, attested from 1939.
ATP (ā'tē'pē')
n.
Adenosine triphosphate; an adenosine-derived nucleotide that supplies large amounts of energy to cells for various biochemical processes, including muscle contraction and sugar metabolism, through its hydrolysis to ADP.
A key energy-carrying molecule in biological systems. It is produced in the body through the process of cell respiration and in plants through photosynthesis.