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

Offspring born to mothers that received indole showed multiple health advantages.

From Science Daily • Feb. 8, 2026

Maize plants form special compounds derived from indole, the so-called benzoxazinoids.

From Science Daily • Oct. 9, 2023

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

Beyond the fact that when they are hydrolyzed they yield quinoline and indole, their composition is unknown.

From The Chemistry of Plant Life by Thatcher, Roscoe Wilfred