alkaloid Meaning, Definition & Usage
-
noun natural bases containing nitrogen found in plants
WordNet
Al"ka*loid, Al`ka*loid"al adjective
(Also<
- Alkaloid
- Alkaloidal
)
Etymology
Definitions
Pertaining to, resembling, or containing, alkali.
Al"ka*loid noun
Definitions
(Chem.) An organic base, especially one of a class of substances occurring ready formed in the tissues of plants and the bodies of animals. ✍ Alcaloids 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.