Duhaime's Law Dictionary Cadaverine Definition: A chemical substance formed by the decomposition of organic matter. Related Terms: Putrescine, Cadaver, Forensic Anthropology According to the 1999 edition of Schmidt's dictionary of attorney medical terms, cadaverine is: "... a substance ... formed in the process of putrid decomposition of organic matter, as of the human body." The 27th edition of Stedman's Medical Dictionary: "Cadaverine ... a foul smelling (organic compound) formed by bacterial decarboxylation of lysine; poisonous and irritating to the skin; found in decaying meat a fish." The 1994, 28th edition of Dorland's uses these words to define cadaverine: "A foul smelling nitrogenous base ... produced in decaying protein material by the action of bacteria...." REFERENCES: Dorland, I., Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary, 28th Edition (Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Co., 1994), page 244. Pugh, M., Stedman's Medical Dictionary, 27th Ed. (Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2000), page 265. Schmidt, J.E., Attorney's Dictionary of Medicine, Volume 4 (Newark, New Jersey: LexisNexis, 2009), page C-4 Categories & Topics: Duhaime & Naysmith Medical-Legal Dictionary Always looking up definitions? Save time with our search provider (modern browsers only) If you find an error or omission in Duhaime's Law Dictionary, or if you have suggestion for a legal term, we'd love to hear from you!