lysergic acid

noun

ly·​ser·​gic acid lə-ˈsər-jik-  (ˌ)lī- 

: a crystalline acid C₁₆H₁₆N₂O₂ from ergotic alkaloids

also : lsd

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

It’s created from the lysergic acid found in ergot, which is a fungus that infects rye. —Stav Dimitropoulos, SELF, 29 Apr. 2021

Word History

Etymology

lysergic from lys- (in hydrolysis) + erg(ot) + -ic entry 1

Note: Word introduced by the American biochemist Walter A. Jacobs (1883-1967) and chemist Lyman C. Craig (1906-74) in "The ergot alkaloids II. The degradation of ergotinine with alkali. Lysergic acid," Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 104, no. 3 (March 1, 1934), pp. 547-51.

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

lysergic acid

noun

ly·​ser·​gic acid lə-ˌsər-jik-  (ˌ)lī- 

: a crystalline acid C₁₆H₁₆N₂O₂ that is an ergotic alkaloid

also : lsd