ptomaine
/ˈtəʊmeɪn
/noun Chemistry, dated
Any of a group of amine compounds of unpleasant taste and odour formed in putrefying animal and vegetable matter and formerly thought to cause food poisoning.Being in town, I warily went along to the Colorado Ballet's production of The Nutcracker, a ballet I normally prefer only slightly to ptomaine poisoning....
- The Mayor and Mayoress of Doncaster had been suffering from ptomaine poisoning, caused by eating pigeon pie provided for their guests at an entertainment at the Mansion House.
- According to the old Eclectic doctors it proved to be universally successful in the treatment of every case of ptomaine poisoning.
Origin
Late 19th century: from French ptomaïne, from Italian ptomaina, formed irregularly from Greek ptōma 'corpse'.
- lute
- luteal
- lutecium
- lutefisk
- lute harpsichord
- lutein
- luteinising hormone
- luteinizing hormone
- lutenist
- luteo-
- luteofulvous
- luteotrophic hormone
- luteotropic hormone
- luteous
- lutestring
- Lutetia
- lutetium
- Lutheran
- Lutheran Church
- Lutheranism
- Luther, Martin
- luthern
- luthier
- Luthuli, Albert John
- Lutine Bell