Meaning & use
ptomaine
Any of a group of foul-smelling compounds produced by bacteria as they break down protein in decaying matter.
See it in a sentence
Early doctors mistakenly blamed ptomaine for many cases of food poisoning that were actually caused by bacteria.
The chemistry lecture described how ptomaine forms during the decomposition of animal tissue.
A note on using this word
The old phrase ptomaine poisoning is now considered scientifically outdated; most food poisoning is caused directly by bacteria or toxins, not ptomaines.
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