DictionaryRoot: -ine
French
-ine
an ending used in substance names
Forms
- -ine
Origin
French scientific naming adapted older descriptive endings, especially Latin -inus and its related forms.
Note
It does not identify one chemical class. Naming conventions changed as chemistry developed.
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noun
atropine
AT-ruh-peen
A drug that blocks certain nerve signals.
Etymology
Atropa names deadly nightshade and comes from Atropos, the Fate who cuts the thread of life. With the chemical suffix, it names an alkaloid extracted from that plant.