Wiktionary

ptomaine

See also: ptomaïne

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From French ptomaïne, from Italian ptomaina, from Ancient Greek πτῶμα (ptôma, “corpse”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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ptomaine (countable and uncountable, plural ptomaines)

  1. (chemistry) Any of various amines formed by putrefactive bacteria.
    • 2014 September 4, European Court of Human Rights, Dzemyuk v. Ukraine‎[1], number 42488/02, marginal 10:
      On 6 February 2001 the Yaremche Environmental Health Inspectorate (санітарно-епідеміологічна станція) concluded that the cemetery should not have been constructed on the VL [Vorokhtya Lisokombinat] plot in view of its proximity to residential buildings and the risk of contamination of the surrounding environment by ptomaine.
  2. (dated) Food poisoning.
    • 1940, Agatha Christie, Sad Cypress: A Poirot Mystery‎[2], page 92:
      "There have been cases of ptomaine poisoning from them, haven't there? Mr. Abbott put on a horrified expression.
    • 1963 , Allan Sherman, ‘’Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh (A Letter from Camp)
      You remember Leonard Skinner. He got ptomaine poisoning last night after dinner.
    • 1969, Philip Roth, Portnoy’s Complaint‎[3], New York: Vintage, published 1994, page 165:
      That is the place to find the kinds of shikses Who Will Do Anything! If only a person is willing to risk polio from the pool, gangrene from the footbath, ptomaine from the hot dogs, and elephantiasis from the soap and the towels, he might possibly get laid.
    • 1989, Margaret Atwood, Cat's Eye:
      Sandwiches arrived from outside, strange granular bread, the butter on it liquid, some sort of beige meat paste that hinted at ptomaine.

Translations

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References

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Anagrams

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Italian

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Noun

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ptomaine f

  1. plural of ptomaina

Anagrams

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