brucine

[ broo-seen, -sin ]

/ ˈbru sin, -sɪn /

noun Chemistry.

a white, crystalline, bitter, slightly water-soluble, very poisonous alkaloid, C23H26N2O4, obtained from the nux vomica tree Strychnos nux-vomica, and from other species of the same genus, resembling but not as powerful as strychnine in its pharmacological action: used chiefly in the denaturation of alcohol.

Nearby words

brucella suis, brucellaceae, brucellosis, bruch, bruch's membrane, brucine, brucite, bruckner, brudenell, brudzinski's sign, brueghel

Origin of brucine

1815–25; named after J. Bruce (1730–94), Scottish explorer; see -ine²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for brucine

Gallic acid occurs but seldom in nature; and always united to brucine, veratrine, or lime.
A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines|Andrew Ure
In a physiological sense, brucine may be considered a diluted strychnine.
Poisons: Their Effects and Detection|Alexander Wynter Blyth
It is also obtained as a decomposition product of brucine or strychnine, when these alkaloids are distilled with zinc dust.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 3|Various
Brucine fully neutralises acids, and forms salts, which are for the most part crystalline.
Poisons: Their Effects and Detection|Alexander Wynter Blyth

A sample examined by Dragendorff yielded—strychnine, 0·8 per cent.; brucine, 3·2 per cent.
Poisons: Their Effects and Detection|Alexander Wynter Blyth

British Dictionary definitions for brucine

brucine

/ (ˈbruːsiːn, -sin) /

noun

bitter poisonous alkaloid resembling strychnine and obtained from the tree Strychnos nuxvomica : used mainly in the denaturation of alcohol. Formula: C 23 H 26 N 2 O 4

Word Origin for brucine

C19: named after James Bruce (1730–94), Scottish explorer of Africa

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