Alkaloid
/ˈæl.kə.lɔɪd/noun
An alkaline, nitrogen-containing compound found in many plants and often pharmacologically active.
Did you know?The term was coined in the early 19th century to classify plant compounds such as morphine and quinine, and the suffix -oid comes from Greek -oeides, meaning “resembling,” a tiny linguistic mask of resemblance.
Etymological Timeline
Early Arabic
Arabic
al-qalī
“calcined ash used to make alkaline substances”
Middle Latin
Latin
alkali
“an alkaline substance, especially the ashes of the plant saltwort”
Early 19th Century
French
alkaloïde
“a plant-derived substance with alkaline properties”
Early 19th Century
English
alkaloid
“an organic compound of basic/alkaline character, especially from plants”