What is "lepidine"

Iridoline \I*rid"o*line\, n. [Iridescent + L. oleum oil.] (Chem.) A nitrogenous base C10H9N, extracted from coal-tar naphtha, as an oily liquid. It is a member of the quinoline series, and is probably identical with lepidine.

a. composed of scales n. (context organic compound English) 4-methylquinoline, a heterocyclic aromatic organic compound used in the preparation of certain dyes.

Lepidine, or 4-methylquinoline, is a heterocyclic aromatic organic compound. Its methyl group is fairly acidic, allowing for condensations to occur at this position, especially when the nitrogen is quaternized. It is used in the preparation of certain dyes.