pyridine

[ pir-i-deen, -din ]

nounChemistry.
  1. 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.

Origin of pyridine

1
First recorded in 1850–55; pyr- + -id3 + -ine2

Other words from pyridine

  • py·rid·ic [pahy-rid-ik], /paɪˈrɪd ɪk/, adjective

Words Nearby pyridine

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How to use pyridine in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pyridine

pyridine

/ (ˈpɪrɪˌdiːn) /


noun
  1. 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

Origin of pyridine

1
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

[ pĭrĭ-dēn′ ]


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 Any of a class of organic compounds containing a six-member ring in which one of the carbon atoms has been replaced by a nitrogen atom.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

  2. 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.

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