a toxic compound which is present in soapwort and makes foam when shaken with water.
[count noun] any of the class of steroid and terpenoid glycosides which foam when shaken with water, examples of which are used in detergents and foam fire extinguishers.
Origin:
mid 19th century: from French saponine, from Latin sapo, sapon- 'soap'
saponin in other Oxford dictionaries
Definition of saponin in the US English dictionary
