ptomaine
NounUS[toh-meyn]/ˈtoʊmeɪn/2 syllables
Open English WordNet
Noun (2)
- any of various amines (such as putrescine or cadaverine) formed by the action of putrefactive bacteriaSynonyms: ptomainType of amine, aminoalkaneKinds cadaverine, putrescine
- a term for food poisoning that is no longer in scientific use; food poisoning was once thought to be caused by ingesting ptomainesSynonyms: ptomaine poisoningType of food poisoning, gastrointestinal disorder
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Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Pto′ma·ine noun
Origin: From Gr. … a dead body.
Physiol. Chem. One of a class of animal bases or alkaloids formed in the putrefaction of various kinds of albuminous matter, and closely related to the vegetable alkaloids; a cadaveric poison. The ptomaines, as a class, have their origin in dead matter, by which they are to be distinguished from the leucomaines.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54