benzylisoquinoline

noun

The structural backbone of many alkaloids with a wide variety of structures, including papaverine, noscapine, codeine, morphine, apomorphine, berberine, protopine and tubocurarine.

OriginEnglish isoquinoline ← Ancient Greek ῐ̓́σος (ĭ́sos) ← Proto-Indo-European *swel-der.? →
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Meanings

nounbenzylisoquinoline (countable and uncountable, plural benzylisoquinolines)

plural benzylisoquinolines

  1. countableuncountablechemistryThe structural backbone of many alkaloids with a wide variety of structures, including papaverine, noscapine, codeine, morphine, apomorphine, berberine, protopine and tubocurarine.

Origin

  1. Arabicلُبَان (lubān)
  2. Proto-Indo-European*yew-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*yéwos
  4. Proto-Indo-Iranian*yáwas
  5. Sanskritयव (yava)bor.?
  6. Proto-Austronesian*zawa
  7. Proto-Malayo-Polynesian*zawader.?
  8. Old Javanesejawa
  9. Old JavaneseJawi
  10. Javaneseꦗꦮꦶ (jawi)
  11. Arabicجَاوَة (jāwa)
  12. Arabicـِيّ (-iyy)
  13. Arabicجَاوِيّ (jāwiyy)
  14. Arabicلُبَان جَاوِيّ (lubān jāwiyy)
  15. Catalanbenjuí
  16. Middle Frenchbenjoin
  17. Englishbenzoin
  18. Englishbenzo-
  19. Englishbenz-
  20. Proto-Indo-European*swel-der.?
  21. Ancient Greekῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
  22. Englishbenzyl
  23. Ancient Greekῐ̓́σος (ĭ́sos)
  24. Englishiso-
  25. Englishquinine
  26. Englishquinoline
  27. Englishisoquinoline
  28. Englishbenzylisoquinoline

From benzyl + isoquinoline.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

benzylisoquinoline. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/benzylisoquinoline

MLA

“benzylisoquinoline.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/benzylisoquinoline. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “benzylisoquinoline,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/benzylisoquinoline.

Source: benzylisoquinoline on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.