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putrescine

British

/ pjuːˈtrɛsiːn, -ɪn /

noun

a colourless crystalline amine produced by decaying animal matter; 1,4-diaminobutane. Formula: H 2 N(CH 2 ) 4 NH 2

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of putrescine

C20: from Latin putrescere + _-ine ²

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Not everyone wants to sniff the compounds known as putrescine and cadaverine — this particular sample isn’t as awful as you might think — but many eagerly take part in the final display.

From New York Times • Apr. 26, 2023

Production of the molecules spermidine and putrescine becomes higher than normal.

From Nature • Mar. 17, 2020

The polyamines putrescine and cadaverine, which are the products of protein breakdown after animal death, are the source of the pungent smell of decaying meat.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

Divide the flowers into two groups, and while wearing eye protection and gloves, spray one group with a solution of either putrescine or cadaverine.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

Possible scents include two byproducts of decomposition: putrescine and cadaverine.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2012

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023