pyridine

[ pir-i-deen, -din ]

/ ˈpɪr ɪˌdin, -dɪn /

noun Chemistry.

a colorless, flammable, liquid organic base, C5H5N, having a disagreeable odor, usually obtained from coal or synthesized from acetaldehyde and ammonia: used chiefly as a solvent and in organic synthesis.

Nearby words

pyrgologist, pyrheliometer, pyribenzamine, pyric, pyridic, pyridine, pyridium, pyridostigmine bromide, pyridoxal, pyridoxal 5-phosphate, pyridoxamine

Origin of pyridine

First recorded in 1850–55; pyr- + -id³ + -ine²

Related formspy·rid·ic

[pahy-rid-ik] /paɪˈrɪd ɪk/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for pyridine

When cinchonine is distilled with solid potassium hydrate, it yields pyrrol and bases of both the pyridine and quinoline series.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 415, December 15, 1883|Various
When heated with concentrated sulphuric acid, it is oxidized to pyridine.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 415, December 15, 1883|Various
These fire-produced substances are called, from their origin, the 'pyridine series.'
Health, Happiness, and Longevity|Louis Philippe McCarty
This is not exactly the case with the higher groups of alkaloids—the derivatives of pyridine and quinoline.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 623, December 10, 1887|Various

This latter base has been shown to be a hydrogen addition product of pyridine, C5H5N.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 415, December 15, 1883|Various

British Dictionary definitions for pyridine

pyridine

/ (ˈpɪrɪˌdiːn) /

noun

a colourless hygroscopic liquid with a characteristic odour. It is a basic heterocyclic compound containing one nitrogen atom and five carbon atoms in its molecules and is used as a solvent and in preparing other organic chemicals. Formula: C 5 H 5 N

Word Origin for pyridine

C19: from pyro- + -id ³ + -ine ²

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

Medicine definitions for pyridine

pyridine

[ pĭr′ĭ-dēn′ ]

n.

A flammable, colorless or yellowish liquid base that results from the dry distillation of organic matter containing nitrogen, has a penetrating odor, and is used in analytical chemistry and in the manufacture of various drugs and vitamins.

Related formspy•rid′ic (pī-rĭd′ĭk) adj.

Science definitions for pyridine

pyridine

[ pĭr′ĭ-dēn′ ]

Any of a class of organic compounds containing a six-member ring in which one of the carbon atoms has been replaced by a nitrogen atom. Pyridines include compounds used as water repellents, herbicides, and various drugs. The pyridine ring structure is also part of many larger compounds, including niacin and nicotine.

The simplest of these compounds, a flammable, colorless or yellowish liquid base having a penetrating odor. It is used as a solvent and waterproofing agent and in the manufacture of various drugs and vitamins. Chemical formula: C5H5N.