bitter principle

American  

noun

Chemistry.

1. any of several hundred natural compounds, usually of vegetable origin, having a bitter taste, and not admitting of any chemical classification.

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bitter principle British  

noun

1. any of various bitter-tasting substances, such as aloin, usually extracted from plants

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Etymology

Origin of bitter principle

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bitter principle

Uses.—The fruit of both varieties is edible, though a bitter principle gives it such an intensely bitter taste that it is intolerable to the unaccustomed palate.

From The Medicinal Plants of the Philippines by Jerome Beers Thomas

The whole plant contains tannin, and a bitter principle, which is butyl-mustard oil, and on which the medicinal properties depend.

From Herbal Simples Approved for Modern Uses of Cure by William Thomas Fernie

There is also present a minute quantity of a bitter principle.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3 "Brescia" to "Bulgaria" by Various

The bitter principle of the aromatic hops went to his nervous system, to the much-suffering liver, to the clogged and weary organs, bracing and stimulating, urging on, vitalizing anew.

From Amaryllis at the Fair by Richard Jefferies

Turnips contain a large quantity of matter capable of affording nourishment to the body, but they yield little or none of the bitter principle.

From A Treatise on Sheep: The Best Means for their Improvement, General Management, and the Treatment of their Diseases. by Ambrose Blacklock