arecoline

[uh-ree-kuh-leen, -lin, uh-rek-uh-, ar-i-kuh-]

noun

1. a toxic alkaloid obtained from the seeds of the areca, used chiefly in veterinary medicine as an agent for killing and expelling intestinal worms.

Word History and Origins

Origin of arecoline¹

arec(a) + -ol ¹ + -ine ²

Example Sentences

Betel nut's active ingredient, arecoline, acts on the same receptor proteins in the brain as nicotine.

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