Allomones

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Chemical substances released by one organism that trigger a behavioral or physiological response in individuals of a different species
2. Airborne or secreted compounds that an animal emits to influence the actions of another species, benefiting the emitter
3. Signaling chemicals given off by a living thing that alter how members of other species behave or develop

Etymology: "Allomones" is the plural of "allomone," and the story begins with the Greek word "allos," meaning "other" or "different." That root, descended from an Indo-European ancestor, gave English its "allo-" prefix, which scientists attach to words to mean "of another" or "different in kind." The second half comes from "pheromone," the term for chemical messengers that animals of one species release to influence members of their own species. Pheromone itself was built from Greek "pherein," to carry, and "hormone," to set in motion. Allomones are the other side of that coin: chemicals that one species releases, which benefit a different species, often the receiver rather than the sender. The word is a deliberate scientific compound, so it was assembled by researchers rather than shaped by centuries of everyday speech. Its meaning is therefore exactly what its parts promise: a "different-carrier" signal crossing a species boundary.