hypoxanthine

noun

hy·​po·​xan·​thine ˌhī-pō-ˈzan-ˌthēn 

: a purine base C₅H₄N₄O found in plant and animal tissues that yields xanthine on oxidation

Examples of hypoxanthine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Almost as soon as a fish dies, nucleic acids and other molecules in its flesh begin breaking down, triggering the formation of a compound known as hypoxanthine (HX). —New Atlas, 5 Dec. 2025

Detailed this week in the journal ACS Sensors, the team describes a small device made from an array of microneedles that inserts into a dead fish (or fillets) and continuously measures hypoxanthine (HX), a key compound closely associated with spoilage. —Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 4 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Hypoxanthin, from hypo- hypo- + Xanthicoxyd, an earlier name for xanthine (borrowed from English xanthic oxide) + -in -in entry 1 — more at xanthine

Note: The name was introduced by the German physician and chemist Johann Joseph Scherer (1814-69) in "Ueber einen im thierischen Organismus vorkommenden, dem Xanthicoxyd verwandten Körper," Annalen der Chemie und Pharmacie, Band 73 (1850), p. 333.

First Known Use

circa 1857, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hypoxanthine

• acetylene
• adenosine
• amphetamine
• anthropocene
• antipyrine
• apomorphine
• apoprotein
• aquamarine
• arsphenamine
• azobenzene
• buprenorphine
• chlorobenzene

Medical Definition

hypoxanthine

noun

hy·​po·​xan·​thine ˌhī-pō-ˈzan-ˌthēn 

: a purine base C₅H₄N₄O found in plant and animal tissues that yields xanthine on oxidation and is an intermediate in uric acid synthesis