pyridine

[ pir-i-deen, -din ]

/ ˈpɪr ɪˌdin, -dɪn /

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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.

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Origin of pyridine

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

OTHER WORDS FROM pyridine

py·rid·ic

[pahy-rid-ik], /paɪˈrɪd ɪk/, adjective

Words nearby pyridine

pyrexia, pyrgeometer, pyrheliometer, Pyribenzamine, pyric, pyridine, Pyridium, pyridostigmine bromide, pyridoxal, pyridoxamine, pyridoxine

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pyridine in a sentence

It was filtered off and distilled with caustic soda, but the distillate did not contain pyridine.
Some Constituents of the Poison Ivy Plant: (Rhus Toxicodendron)|William Anderson Syme
Most of these are of a basic character, and belong to the pyridine and the quinoline series.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 5|Various
This reagent is added until the acid reaction has just disappeared and a faint smell of pyridine is perceived.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 5|Various
The 1.5 diketones of this type, when heated with aqueous ammonia, form pyridine derivatives.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 7|Various

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

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

Scientific 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Any of a class of organic compounds containing a six-member ring in which one of the carbon atoms has been replaced by a nitrogen atom.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.