Adrenaline
Etymology
Coined around 1901 from "ad-" (toward, near) and Latin "renes" (kidneys) plus "-ine," because it is made in glands sitting atop the kidneys. Its other name, "epinephrine," says the same thing in Greek — "epi-" (upon) and "nephros" (kidney).
noun · /uh-DREN-uh-lin/
A hormone released in stress or danger that primes the body for fast action.
What it names
Use it for the body’s emergency surge — the chemical behind the racing heart and heightened alertness of a scare.
Example
A jolt of adrenaline let her yank the child back from the curb before she’d even thought.
Related idea
Adrenaline and epinephrine are the same molecule — the split is regional (British versus American) and commercial, not chemical. It fuels the "fight-or-flight" response, the acute counterpart to the slow, grinding stress carried by cortisol.