rhizoverbBeta
DictionarymescalineHallucinogenic compound
noun

mescaline

MES-kuh-lin/ˈmeskəlɪn/

A hallucinogenic compound found in peyote and certain other cacti.

Peyote and certain other cacti naturally contain the hallucinogenic compound mescaline.

A botanically accurate small spineless peyote cactus sits beside the accurate skeletal chemical structure of mescaline from the reference: benzene with three adjacent methoxy substituents at3,4,5 and a two-carbon primary amino side chain at1.
Etymology
mescalEnglishpeyote cactus
+ineFrenchderived substance

Mescal here names the peyote cactus: the drug was named for its occurrence in the cactus's buttons. The chemical suffix marks it as a substance derived from that source.

In context

Animalogic2:09
mescaline is a naturally occurring psychedelic that can cause hallucinations when ingested in peyote
Peyote: 30 Years to Grow a Psychedelic Defense

More examples

  • Researchers study how mescaline affects the brain.
  • The laboratory tests the sample for mescaline.
  • Mescaline can alter a person's sense of time.

Similar words

hallucinogen
Names the broader drug class rather than this specific compound.