ptomaine: Meaning and Definition of

pto•maine

Pronunciation: (tō'mān, tō-mān'), [key]
— n.
  1. any of a class of foul-smelling nitrogenous substances produced by bacteria during putrefaction of animal or plant protein: formerly thought to be toxic.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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