indican

[ in-di-kuhn ]

/ ˈɪn dɪ kən /

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noun

a glucoside, C14H17NO6, that occurs in plants yielding indigo and from which indigo is obtained.

Biochemistry. indoxyl potassium sulfate, C8H6NO4SK, a component of urine.

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Origin of indican

1855–60; <Latin indic(um) indigo + -an

Words nearby indican

India print, India rubber, India silk, India wheat, Indic, indican, indicant, indicate, indicated horsepower, indication, indicative

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use indican in a sentence

Simple constipation and diseases of the large intestine alone do not increase the amount of indican.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Indican is readily extracted from the leaves of various species of indigo plants.
The Chemistry of Plant Life|Roscoe Wilfred Thatcher
The blue dye, indigo, is derived from a glucoside of an entirely different type, known as indican.
The Chemistry of Plant Life|Roscoe Wilfred Thatcher
Potassium indoxyl sulphate, or indican, is derived from indol.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd

Intestinal obstruction gives the largest amounts of indican.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd

British Dictionary definitions for indican

indican

/ (ˈɪndɪkən) /

noun

a compound secreted in the urine, usually in the form of its potassium salt; indoxylsulphuric acid. Formula: C 8 H 6 NOSO 2 OH

Word Origin for indican

C19: from Latin indicum indigo + -an

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