octopine

English

Etymology 1

Octopus octopodia (the common octopus) + -ine (chemically basic or alkaloidal substance)

Noun

Chemical structure of octopine.

octopine (plural octopines)

1. (biochemistry) An analog of lactic acid, derived from the amino acids arginine and alanine, first isolated from the muscle tissue of octopus species.

Synonyms

• D-octopine

Derived terms

• octopine dehydrogenase

See also

• octopamine (confused with)

Etymology 2

octop(us) +‎ -ine

Adjective

octopine (comparative more octopine, superlative most octopine)

1. Of, pertaining to, or resembling an octopus or octopuses; octopuslike.
   • 1914, Gilbert Keith Chesterton, The Flying Inn, page 266:

     ...but the Captain preferred to swing himself onto one of the octopine branches with a whirl of large wild legs worthy of a chimpanzee.

Synonyms

• see list in octopuslike

Anagrams

• ectopion