organic compounds

Cultural  

1. The compounds containing carbon that are typically found in living systems.

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Generally, anything made from living systems, such as cloth, fuels, or wood, is said to be organic. Organic foods are grown with no fertilizer except the organic compounds found naturally in plants and animals.

Example Sentences

A sheriff’s detective served Susan Flores with the search warrant shortly after 7 a.m., and also have access to a neighboring home where the scientists in 2023 detected the volatile organic compounds.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

Three years ago, a group of scientists working from Susan Flores’ neighbors’ backyard using soil vapor sampling detected the presence of volatile organic compounds that they say may be associated with decomposing human remains.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

The third region contains organic compounds that include nitrogen, an element that plays a key role in biological molecules such as amino acids.

From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026

The e-noses can sniff out the unique signatures of volatile organic compounds not only in the breath, but in excretions like sweat or urine, and have AI quickly identify them.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

No matter what its original condition, the intense rain and heat of the forest have eroded its surface, washed out all its minerals, and decomposed vital organic compounds.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann