ptomaine
[ toh-meyn, toh-meyn ]
/ ˈtoʊ meɪn, toʊˈmeɪn /
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noun
any of a class of foul-smelling nitrogenous substances produced by bacteria during putrefaction of animal or plant protein: formerly thought to be toxic.
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Origin of ptomaine
OTHER WORDS FROM ptomaine
pto·main·ic, adjectiveWords nearby ptomaine
Ptolemaic universe, Ptolemaist, Ptolemy, Ptolemy I, Ptolemy II, ptomaine, ptomaine poisoning, ptosed, ptosis, ptotic, ptp.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for ptomaine
British Dictionary definitions for ptomaine
ptomaine
ptomain
/ (ˈtəʊmeɪn) /
noun
any of a group of amines, such as cadaverine or putrescine, formed by decaying organic matter
Word Origin for ptomaine
C19: from Italian ptomaina, from Greek ptoma corpse, from piptein to fall
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
Medical definitions for ptomaine
ptomaine
[ tō′mān′, tō-mān′ ]
n.
A basic nitrogenous organic compound produced by bacterial putrefaction of protein.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for ptomaine
ptomaine
[ tō′mān′ ]
Any of various toxic nitrogenous organic compounds produced by bacterial decomposition of protein, especially in dead animal tissue. Ptomaines are bases and are formed by removing the carboxyl group (COOH) from amino acids. They do not cause food poisoning, as was previously thought, but the term ptomaine poisoning is still used to describe food poisoning caused by bacteria.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.