Amygdalin
/ˌæmɪɡˈdeɪlɪn/noun
A naturally occurring cyanogenic compound found in the seeds of some fruits, especially bitter almonds and apricots.
Did you know?Its name comes from Greek for “almond,” and the same root also gave us the medical word amygdala, because that brain region was named for its almond shape.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Gk
ἀμυγδάλη (amygdálē)
“almond”
Late Latin
LL
amygdala
“almond; almond tree”
19th Century
French/German scientific Latin
amygdaline / Amygdalin
“a substance isolated from bitter almonds”
1830s
German
Amygdalin
“the bitter almond principle”
Modern English
English
amygdalin
“a cyanogenic glycoside found in certain seeds and kernels”
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