harman

harman (plural harmans)

1. (obsolete, thieves' cant) A policeman.
   • 1724, “Frisky Moll's Song”, in Farmer, John Stephen, editor, Musa Pedestris, published 1896, page 41:

     I Frisky Moll, with my rum coll, / Wou'd Grub in a bowzing ken; / But ere for the scran he had tipt the cole, / The Harman he came in.

   • 1765, “A Song in High Life”, in The Merry Medley, volume 1, London: W. Hoggard, page 35:

     I pray you now send me some dub, / A bottle or two to the needy. / I beg you won't bring it yourself, / The harman is at the Old-Bailey; / I'd rather you'd send it behalf, / For, if they twig you they'll nail you.

2. (organic chemistry) An indole alkaloid, 1-methyl-9H-β-carboline (C12H10N2) found in several foods, plants and beverages which is carcinogen. It is a specific, reversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase A.
   • 2010, El Gendy MA, El-Kadi AO, Harman induces CYP1A1 enzyme through an aryl hydrocarbon receptor mechanism., Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, page 55:

     Harman is a common compound in several foods, plants and beverages. Numerous studies have demonstrated its mutagenic, co-mutagenic and carcinogenic effects; however, the exact mechanism has not been fully identified.

• harman-beck, nuthook, PC Plod; see also Thesaurus:police officer

• harman-beck
• harmans

From Ottoman Turkish خرمان, from Persian خرمن (xerman, xarman).

• IPA^(key): [hɑɾˈmɑn]
• Hyphenation: har‧man

harman (definite accusative harmanı, plural harmanlar)

1. threshing
2. threshing floor
3. blending
4. blend
5. harvest

• “harman”, in Turkish dictionaries, Türk Dil Kurumu