Definition

Noun: A bitter principle is any one of several hundred naturally occurring chemical compounds that have an intensely bitter taste. These compounds are found in various plants and are defined by their sensory effect (bitterness) rather than by a shared chemical structure, meaning they do not belong to a single, unified chemical class.

Usage

The term is used primarily in pharmacology, botany, and food science to describe the bitter-tasting active constituents of a plant, often associated with medicinal or physiological effects. * The bitter principle in gentian root stimulates digestion. * Quinine is a well-known bitter principle derived from cinchona bark. * The taste of the herb was attributed to an unidentified bitter principle.

Advanced Usage

• The term is somewhat archaic in modern chemistry but remains useful in descriptive contexts. Contemporary science would identify specific compounds (e.g., alkaloids, sesquiterpene lactones, glycosides) instead of using the collective term "bitter principle."
• It can be used in a general sense to refer to the source of a plant's characteristic bitterness.
  • The bitter principle is concentrated in the plant's leaves.

Variants and Related Words

• Bitter compound: A more modern and general synonym.
• Amaroid (archaic): An older term sometimes used synonymously with bitter principle.

Synonyms

• Bitter compound
• Bitter agent
• Bitter constituent

Related Phrases/Idioms

• To be the bitter principle of/behind something: Used metaphorically to describe the fundamental cause of an unpleasant or difficult situation.
  • His deep-seated envy was the bitter principle behind their constant rivalry. (Note: This is a figurative, literary extension of the term and not its standard scientific meaning.)

Noun

1. any one of several hundred compounds having a bitter taste; not admitting of chemical classification