Definition

A substance produced in the body when nicotine is broken down, often used to measure how much nicotine a person has consumed.

Example

The doctor tested my blood for cotinine to see if I had been smoking recently.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of cotinine?

Yeah, I think it's something related to smoking, right?

Exactly! It's a metabolite of nicotine that shows how much someone has smoked.

That makes sense; I didn't know it could be measured like that.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Cotinine is derived from 'nicotiana' (the genus of tobacco plants) and the suffix '-ine' (used to form names of chemical substances). The word refers to a chemical compound that is a metabolite of nicotine, found in tobacco.

Memory Tip

Think of cotinine as a substance related to tobacco ('nicotiana') — the '-ine' ending indicates it's a chemical compound. This helps you remember that cotinine is connected to tobacco.

Visually Confused Words