First Known Use: 1880
Dictionary
ptomaine
noun pto·maine \ˈtō-ˌmān, tō-ˈ\
Definition of PTOMAINE
: any of various organic bases which are formed by the action of putrefactive bacteria on nitrogenous matter and some of which are poisonous
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Origin of PTOMAINE
Italian ptomaina, from Greek ptōma fall, fallen body, corpse, from piptein to fall — more at feather
Rhymes with PTOMAINE
abstain, again, air lane, airplane, amain, arcane, arraign, attain, Bahrain, Bassein, Beltane, biplane, birdbrain, block plane, bloodstain, boat train, brain drain, bugbane, campaign, champagne, champaign, Champlain, checkrein, chicane, chilblain, choke chain, chow mein, cinquain, cocaine, Cockaigne, Coltrane, coxswain, complain, constrain, contain, cordwain, cowbane, crackbrain, demesne, deplane, destain, detain, detrain, devein, disdain, distain, distrain, dogbane, domain, drivetrain, dumb cane, edge-grain, Elaine, enchain, enplane, entrain, ethane, explain, eyestrain, fast lane, fleabane, floatplane, floodplain, food chain, forebrain, Fort Wayne, Gawain, germane, Great Dane, grosgrain, half plane, henbane, hindbrain, house-train, humane, Hussein, Igraine, immane, inane, ingrain, insane, jack plane, lamebrain, left brain, lightplane, lo mein, long-chain, Lorraine, maintain, marchpane, membrane, methane, midbrain, migraine, Montaigne, montane, moraine, mortmain, Moulmein, mundane, neck-rein, New Spain, obtain, octane, ordain, pertain, plain-Jane, profane, propane, purslane, quatrain, raise Cain, refrain, remain, restrain, retain, retrain, right brain, romaine, sailplane, sea-lane, seaplane, seatrain, split-brain, sustain, tailplane, tearstain, terrane, Touraine, towplane, triplane, Ukraine, unchain, urbane, vervain, vicereine, villein, volplane, warplane, wave train, wolfsbane
Medical Dictionary
ptomaine
noun pto·maine \ˈtō-ˌmān, tō-ˈ\
Medical Definition of PTOMAINE
: any of various organic bases formed by the action of putrefactive bacteria on nitrogenous matter and including some which are poisonous—compare leukomaine
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