alkaloid
NounUS[al-kuh-loid]/ˈælkəˌlɔɪd/3 syllables
Open English WordNet
Noun (1)
- natural bases containing nitrogen found in plantsType of organic compoundKinds strychnine, nicotine, ergotamine, scopolamine, brucine, ergotine, pseudoephedrine, cinchonine, pilocarpine, psilocyn +9 more
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Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Al′ka·loid (ăl′kȧ-loid), Al′ka·loid′al (ăl′kȧ-loid′al) adjective
Origin: Alkali + -oid: cf. F. alcaloïde.
1. Pertaining to, resembling, or containing, alkali.
2. of or pertaining to alkaloids.
Al′ka·loid (ăl′kȧ-loid), noun
Chemistry An organic base, especially one of a class of nitrogen-containing substances occurring ready formed in the tissues of plants and the bodies of animals.
☞ Alkaloids all contain nitrogen, carbon, and hydrogen, and many of them also contain oxygen. They include many of the active principles in plants; thus, morphine and narcotine are alkaloids found in opium.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54 · with additions: WordNet 1.5