berberine

[ bur-buh-reen ]

/ ˈbɜr bəˌrin /

noun Pharmacology.

a white or yellow, crystalline, water-soluble alkaloid, C20H19NO5, derived from barberry or goldenseal, used as an antipyrotic, antibacterial, and stomachic.

Nearby words

berate, berber, berbera, berbere, berberidaceous, berberine, berberis, berbers, berbice, berbice chair, berceuse

Origin of berberine

1860–65; < New Latin Berber(is) (see berberidaceous) + -ine¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for berberine

It differs from paricine in its proportion of hydrogen, and from berberine in containing more carbon.
The Medicinal Plants of the Philippines|T. H. Pardo de Tavera
But this similarity only holds in the north, and is now shown to be due to Berberine immigration into Kordofan.
Man, Past and Present|Agustus Henry Keane
"I have never had any real trouble with them," she continued with a little gesture of pride towards the disappearing Berberine.
Donovan Pasha And Some People Of Egypt, Complete|Gilbert Parker
The inner bark and roots yield a fine yellow dye (berberine).
The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 3|Various

British Dictionary definitions for berberine

berberine

/ (ˈbɜːbəˌriːn) /

noun

a yellow bitter-tasting alkaloid obtained from barberry and other plants and used medicinally, esp in tonics. Formula: C 20 H 19 NO 5

Word Origin for berberine

C19: from German Berberin, from New Latin berberis barberry

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

Medicine definitions for berberine

berberine

[ bûr′bə-rēn′ ]

n.

A bitter-tasting yellow plant alkaloid used as an antipyretic and antibacterial agent.