Chinotoxine

/ˌkɪnoʊˈtɒksɪn/ noun

Definition

A toxic or poisonous substance derived from or related to quinoline compounds.

Etymology

From 'chinolo-' (relating to quinoline) + 'toxine' (poison). A specialized chemical term from 19th-century toxicology indicating a toxic derivative of quinoline structures.

Kelly Says

Many medicines are actually controlled poisons—digitalis kills you at high doses but heals your heart at low ones—so toxicologists had to create specific names for dangerous chemical relatives of useful compounds!

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