Guanidine
/ˈɡwɑːnɪdiːn/noun
A strongly basic nitrogen-containing compound used in chemical synthesis and found in some biological molecules.
Did you know?Guanidine was named through guanine, a compound first obtained from guano, whose nitrogen-rich deposits helped inspire early chemical investigations.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian era
Quechua
wanu
“Dung or manure, especially nutrient-rich material used as fertilizer”
16th Century
Spanish
guano
“Bird or bat excrement collected for use as fertilizer”
1826
German
Guanin
“A nitrogenous substance isolated from guano”
Mid-19th Century
Chemical Latin/German
guanidine
“A compound named in relation to guanine and its guano-derived name”
Modern English
English
guanidine
“A strongly basic nitrogen compound used in chemistry and biochemistry”
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