: a crystalline amine C10H12N2 derived from tryptophan

Examples of tryptamine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Some tryptamines are neurotransmitters, naturally occurring chemical messengers in the brain. Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2024 Next, scientists used highly sensitive mass spectrometers and other analytic equipment to test the products for psilocybin and other tryptamines. Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

trypt(ophan) + amine

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tryptamine was in 1929

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Cite this Entry

“Tryptamine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tryptamine. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

Medical Definition

: a crystalline amine C10H12N2 derived from tryptophan
also : any of various substituted derivatives of this amine of which some are significantly hallucinogenic or neurotoxic
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