active principle

n.

A constituent of a drug, usually an alkaloid or glycoside, on which the characteristic therapeutic action of the substance largely depends.

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Nearby words

artigas, artillery, artillery plant, artilleryman, artio-, active principle, artisan, artisanal, artist, artiste, artistic

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.