ninhydrin

[ nin-hahy-drin ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a white or yellow, toxic, crystalline or powdery compound, C 9 H 4 O 3 ⋅H 2 O, that reddens when heated above 100°C, a monohydrate, soluble in water or alcohol: used primarily as a reagent to detect the presence of various amino acids.

ninhydrin

/ nɪnˈhaɪdrɪn /

noun

1. a chemical reagent used for the detection and analysis of primary amines, esp amino acids, with which it forms a derivative with an intense purple colour

Word History and Origins

Origin of ninhydrin¹

From German, registered as a trademark for the drug in 1912

Word History and Origins

Origin of ninhydrin¹

C20: from the chemical name triketo hydrindene

Example Sentences

We used a chemical called ninhydrin to chop off and isolate the carbon atom we wanted from each amino acid.

From Salon

Bailey also taught classes on arson investigation at the local university, and co-authored papers with titles such as “The Use of Liquid Latex for Soot Removal from Fire Scenes and Attempted Fingerprint Development with Ninhydrin.”

From Washington Post

These compounds are known to react with a chemical called ninhydrin, causing it to change color.

From US News

When you get a positive result with a ninhydrin … you can be pretty confident about the compound that produced it.

From US News

The air samples were then taken to the laboratory and analyzed with ninhydrin.

From US News