atropine

[ a-truh-peen, -pin ]

nounPharmacology.
  1. a poisonous crystalline alkaloid, C17H23NO3, obtained from belladonna and other plants of the nightshade family, that prevents the response of various body structures to certain types of nerve stimulation: used chiefly to relieve spasms, to lessen secretions, and, topically, to dilate the pupil of the eye.

Origin of atropine

1
1830–40; <New Latin Atrop(a) belladonna genus (<Greek átropos;see Atropos) + -ine2

Words Nearby atropine

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use atropine in a sentence

  • Other salts of atropine are not described because used substantially like the above.

    Merck's 1899 Manual | Merck &amp; Co.

British Dictionary definitions for atropine

atropine

atropin (ˈætrəpɪn)

/ (ˈætrəˌpiːn, -pɪn) /


noun
  1. a poisonous alkaloid obtained from deadly nightshade, having an inhibitory action on the autonomic nervous system. It is used medicinally in pre-anaesthetic medication, to speed a slow heart rate, and as an emergency first-aid counter to exposure to chemical warfare nerve agents. Formula: C 17 H 23 NO 3

Origin of atropine

1
C19: from New Latin atropa deadly nightshade, from Greek atropos unchangeable, inflexible; see Atropos

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for atropine

atropine

[ ătrə-pēn′, -pĭn ]


  1. A poisonous, bitter, crystalline alkaloid derived from deadly nightshade and related plants. It is used as a drug to dilate the pupils of the eye and to inhibit muscle spasms. Chemical formula: C17H23NO3.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.