indole

Etymology

From indigo + Latin oleum (“oil”); see -ole.

noun

1. (organic chemistry) An organic compound, C₈H₇N, found in coal tar, and produced in the gut by the bacterial decomposition of tryptophan; it is an aromatic bicyclic heterocycle having a benzene ring fused with a pyrrole ring; indole and its derivatives occur widely in nature and have many industrial applications.
2. (organic chemistry) Any of the derivatives of indole₁.

adj

1. (obsolete) guileless