Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A basic nitrogenous organic compound produced by bacterial putrefaction of protein.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A generic name of alkaloid bodies formed from animal or vegetable tissues during putrefaction, and the similar bodies produced by pathogenic bacteria. Some of them are poisonous.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Physiol. Chem.) One of a class of animal bases or alkaloids formed in the putrefaction of various kinds of albuminous matter, and closely related to the vegetable alkaloids; a cadaveric poison. The ptomaines, as a class, have their origin in dead matter, by which they are to be distinguished from the
leucomaines .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun chemistry Any of various
amines formed byputrefactive bacteria . - noun dated
food poisoning
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun any of various amines (such as putrescine or cadaverine) formed by the action of putrefactive bacteria
- noun a term for food poisoning that is no longer in scientific use; food poisoning was once thought to be caused by ingesting ptomaines
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Food poisoning -- commonly called ptomaine poisoning -- and the effects ascribed to "salts of tin" result from improper handling and improper preparation of the product before packing, or from allowing the product to stand in the tin after it has been opened.
Every Step in Canning Grace Viall Gray
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Oh, yes, it was a full man's job, and I dosed and doctored, and pulled teeth, and dragged my patients through mild little things like ptomaine poisoning.
Chapter 32 2010
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Feb 18th, 2010 at 12: 49 pm deanlo: lefties are immune to ptomaine. everyone knows that
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Will Mamacita meet her maker at the hands of ptomaine poisoning?
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To-morrow, or some other day, a ptomaine bug, or some other of a thousand bugs, might jump out upon him and drag him down.
Chapter X 2010
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Mess around and give everybody ptomaine poisoning.
A Kettle of Vultures Sabrina Lamb 2010
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Throughout the book, Jig continues to struggle with the events of GOBLIN WAR and the pressures of his new ptomaine.
Mad Libs Reviewing jimhines 2010
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Mess around and give everybody ptomaine poisoning.
A Kettle of Vultures Sabrina Lamb 2010
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Mess around and give everybody ptomaine poisoning.
A Kettle of Vultures Sabrina Lamb 2010
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Sailors on the American destroyer that took them onboard served an evening meal of bread and meat that made the passengers violently sick with ptomaine poisoning.
PEARL BUCK IN CHINA Hilary Spurling 2010
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