noun
- Plural of ptomaine; organic compounds produced by the decomposition of animal or plant matter, especially proteins.
Usage: technical; chemistry; often used in historical or scientific contexts
Examples
- The spoiled food contained various ptomains that made the diner ill.
- Scientists studied ptomains formed during the decay of organic tissue.
- Ptomains are produced naturally when bacteria break down proteins in dead matter.
- The presence of ptomains in the specimen indicated advanced decomposition.
- Early toxicologists investigated ptomains as a cause of food poisoning.