alkaloid

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈælkəˌlɔɪd/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈælkəˌlɔɪd/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(alkə loid′)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
al•ka•loid /ˈælkəˌlɔɪd/USA pronunciation  n. [countable]
  1. Biochemistrya bitter-tasting chemical compound common in plants, as caffeine, morphine, and nicotine.

adj. 
  1. Biochemistry, Chemistry, Drugsresembling an alkali;
    alkaline.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
al•ka•loid  (alkə loid′),USA pronunciation [Biochem., Chem.,]Pharm.
n. 
  1. Biochemistry, Chemistry, Drugsany of a large class of organic, nitrogen-containing ring compounds of vegetable origin and sometimes synthesized, some of which are liquid but most of which are solid, that have a bitter taste, that are usually water-insoluble and alcohol-soluble, that combine with acids without the loss of a water molecule to form water-soluble hydrochlorides, hydrobromides, or the like, and that usually exhibit pharmacological action, as nicotine, morphine, or quinine.

adj. 
  1. Biochemistry, Chemistry, Drugsresembling an alkali;
    alkaline.
  • alkal(i) + -oid 1825–35

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
alkaloid / ˈælkəˌlɔɪd/
  1. any of a group of nitrogenous basic compounds found in plants, typically insoluble in water and physiologically active. Common examples are morphine, strychnine, quinine, nicotine, and caffeine
'alkaloid' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

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