Harmine

/ˈhɑːrmiːn/ noun

Definition

A psychoactive alkaloid compound found in harmal and other plants, used traditionally in some cultures and studied for potential pharmacological effects.

Etymology

From harmal plant plus the suffix -ine (used for alkaloid compounds). Related to harmin, it represents the chemical nomenclature for this specific compound isolated from plants.

Kelly Says

Harmine is fascinating because it's one of the compounds in ayahuasca, a traditional Amazonian brew, and it was being studied in Western laboratories decades before Western culture got interested in ethnobotany—showing how science was catching up to traditional knowledge.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.