gossypol

[gos-uh-pawl, -pol]

noun

a toxic pigment, C30H30O8, derived from cottonseed oil, made nontoxic by heating, presently under study as a potential male contraceptive and antimicrobial.

Origin of gossypol

1895–1900; < New Latin Gossyp(ium) (see gossypose) + -ol¹

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

British Dictionary definitions for gossypol

gossypol

noun

a toxic crystalline pigment that is a constituent of cottonseed oil

Word Origin for gossypol

C19: from Modern Latin gossypium cotton plant + -ol 1

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

gossypol in Medicine

gossypol

[gŏs′ə-pôl′, -pōl′]

n.

A toxic pigment obtained from cottonseed oil and detoxified by heating, shown to inhibit sperm production.