Skip to main content
indole

indole

1 9.9
A natural chemical with a strong smell used in perfumes and medicines
  • noun
  • /ˈɪnˌdoʊl/
  • Specialized
: indol
  • IT'S CALLED INDOLE-3-BUTYRIC ACID.
  • indole test

Examples

  • Keywords: Enzyme inhibitors; Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis; Indoles; Protein kinase inhibitors.

    Academic text (2014)
  • The colorless colonies were then tested with the spot indole test.

    Academic text (2002)
  • Radishes offer cancer-fighting indoles; red tomatoes are the ultimate in lycopene, linked to a lower risk of heart disease and cancer.

    Blog text (16)
  • It is interesting that all 8 substances are characterized by boiling points higher than 254°C (the lowest being indole).

    Academic text (2016)
  • Further modification led to the inclusion of heterocyclic groups in place of the indoles, culminating in the development of multiple nitrogen and oxygen-containing heterocyclic analogs, all of which were covered in a 2000 patent.

    Blog text (19)
  • The distinct smell of indole can often be detected in the aroma of certain flowers and perfumes.

  • Chemists use indole as a fundamental building block in the synthesis of numerous pharmaceuticals.

  • Indole is an important component in the fragrance of jasmine, adding a rich, floral note.

Surface Forms

indole singular
indoles plural

Etymology

The word indole comes from the dye indigo ('blue dye') because chemists first made it when they worked on indigo, plus the ending -ole (like 'oil') that appears in many chemical names. So, indole can be remembered as an indigo-related, oily organic substance, which fits its modern use as a small, often strongly scented chemical in perfumes and laboratory work.