alkaloid
any of a large class of organic, nitrogen-containing ring compounds of vegetable origin and sometimes synthesized, some of which are liquid but most of which are solid, that have a bitter taste, that are usually water-insoluble and alcohol-soluble, that combine with acids without the loss of a water molecule to form water-soluble hydrochlorides, hydrobromides, or the like, and that usually exhibit pharmacological action, as nicotine, morphine, or quinine.
resembling an alkali; alkaline.
Origin of alkaloid
1Other words from alkaloid
- non·al·ka·loid, noun, adjective
Words Nearby alkaloid
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use alkaloid in a sentence
An alkaloid discovered by Brandes in atropa belladonna or deadly nightshade.
alkaloid, al′ka-loid, n. a vegetable principle possessing in some degree alkaline properties.
Apomorphia, a-po-morf′i-a, n. an alkaloid prepared from morphia by heating hydrochloric acid—a rapid and powerful emetic.
alkaloid from Aconite, prepared according to process of Duquesnel.
Merck's 1899 Manual | Merck & Co.It is the alkaloid of aconite, and generally fatal in its results.
The Red Seal | Natalie Sumner Lincoln
British Dictionary definitions for alkaloid
/ (ˈælkəˌlɔɪd) /
any of a group of nitrogenous basic compounds found in plants, typically insoluble in water and physiologically active. Common examples are morphine, strychnine, quinine, nicotine, and caffeine
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for alkaloid
[ ăl′kə-loid′ ]
Any of a large class of naturally occurring, complex organic compounds that contain nitrogen and have physiological effects on animals, including humans. Most alkaloids occur in plants, although some are produced by fungi and animals. Alkaloids are bases and usually form colorless crystalline solids with a bitter taste. They have a wide range of effects and are used as medicines and poisons. Morphine, quinine, strychnine, codeine, caffeine, cocaine, and nicotine are all alkaloids.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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