indole

American  

[in-dohl] / ˈɪn doʊl /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a colorless to yellowish solid, C 8 H 7 N, having a low melting point and a fecal odor, found in the oil of jasmine and clove and as a putrefaction product from animals' intestines: used in perfumery and as a reagent.

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indole British  

/ ˈɪndəʊl, -dɒl, ˈɪndəʊl /

noun

1. a white or yellowish crystalline heterocyclic compound extracted from coal tar and used in perfumery, medicine, and as a flavouring agent; 1-benzopyrrole. Formula: C 8 H 7 N

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indole Scientific  

/ ĭn′dōl′ /

1. A white crystalline compound obtained from coal tar or various plants and produced by the bacterial decomposition of tryptophan in the intestine. It is used in the perfume industry and as a reagent. Chemical formula: C ₈ H ₇ N.

2. Any of various derivatives of this compound.

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Etymology

Origin of indole

First recorded in 1865–70; ind- + -ole ²

Example Sentences

Based on these early results, the researchers note that the newly characterized indole metabolites could one day form the basis for therapies that help counter the effects of aging on the skin.

From Science Daily • Nov. 29, 2025

Kim, Lee and their colleagues then examined whether the indole compounds could limit processes linked to skin aging.

From Science Daily • Nov. 29, 2025

The putrescence comes from the molecule indole, which is in certain flowers like orange blossom and magnolia, as well as in excrement.

From Salon • Apr. 30, 2022

This is in part the work of indole, an aromatic compound present in foul-smelling substances like coal tar and feces, which in trace amounts gives the most delicate of flowers an almost animal opulence.

From New York Times • Oct. 11, 2021

Ergo illi ex habitu, virtutiſq; indole priſcæ, Impoſuere orbi Romam caput:—— Neighb'ring Exceſſes being made thine own, How art thou fall'n from thine old Renown!

From Acetaria: A Discourse of Sallets by Evelyn, John