ptomaine.

An organic amine produced during microbial decomposition of proteins, especially in decaying animal matter.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• ptomaines in decaying tissue
• historical ptomaine poisoning

On the page

The older report attributed the illness to ptomaines in the spoiled food.

The researcher explained that finding a ptomaine did not identify the cause of poisoning.

Usage notes

Primary category: horror. Forms: Singular ptomaine; plural ptomaines. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.