indole

American  

[in-dohl] / ˈɪn doʊl /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a colorless to yellowish solid, C 8 H 7 N, having a low melting point and a fecal odor, found in the oil of jasmine and clove and as a putrefaction product from animals' intestines: used in perfumery and as a reagent.

---

indole British  

/ ˈɪndəʊl, -dɒl, ˈɪndəʊl /

noun

1. a white or yellowish crystalline heterocyclic compound extracted from coal tar and used in perfumery, medicine, and as a flavouring agent; 1-benzopyrrole. Formula: C 8 H 7 N

---

indole Scientific  

/ ĭn′dōl′ /

1. A white crystalline compound obtained from coal tar or various plants and produced by the bacterial decomposition of tryptophan in the intestine. It is used in the perfume industry and as a reagent. Chemical formula: C ₈ H ₇ N.

2. Any of various derivatives of this compound.

---

Etymology

Origin of indole

First recorded in 1865–70; ind- + -ole ²

Example Sentences

They used several analytical tools, including spectrometry, isotope labeling and computational approaches, to determine the chemical structures of 12 distinct indole metabolites within the mixture.

From Science Daily • Nov. 29, 2025

One group of metabolites, known as indole compounds, has attracted special interest because of their anti-aging, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects.

From Science Daily • Nov. 29, 2025

The putrescence comes from the molecule indole, which is in certain flowers like orange blossom and magnolia, as well as in excrement.

From Salon • Apr. 30, 2022

This is in part the work of indole, an aromatic compound present in foul-smelling substances like coal tar and feces, which in trace amounts gives the most delicate of flowers an almost animal opulence.

From New York Times • Oct. 11, 2021

Haud alium tanta civem tulit indole Roma, 815 Aut cui plus leges deberent recta sequenti.

From Helps to Latin Translation at Sight by Luce, Edmund