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curare
or cu·ra·ri
[ kyoo-rahr-ee, koo- ]
/ kyʊˈrɑr i, kʊ- /
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noun
a blackish, resinlike substance derived from tropical plants of the genus Strychnos, especially S. toxifera, and from the root of pareira, used by certain South American Indians for poisoning arrows and employed in physiological experiments, medicine, etc., for arresting the action of motor nerves.
a plant yielding this substance.
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Origin of curare
1770–80; <Portuguese <Carib kurari
Words nearby curare
Cur. adv. vult, curagh, curandera, curanderismo, curandero, curare, curariform, curarine, curarize, curassow, curate
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use curare in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for curare
curare
curari
/ (kjʊˈrɑːrɪ) /
noun
black resin obtained from certain tropical South American trees, esp Chondrodendron tomentosum, acting on the motor nerves to cause muscular paralysis: used medicinally as a muscle relaxant and by South American Indians as an arrow poison
any of various trees of the genera Chondrodendron (family Menispermaceae) and Strychnos (family Loganiaceae) from which this resin is obtained
Word Origin for curare
C18: from Portuguese and Spanish, from Carib kurari
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
Medical definitions for curare
curare
n.
An extract obtained from several tropical American woody plants, especially Chondrodendron tomentosum, used as an arrow poison by some Indian peoples of South America.
A purified preparation or alkaloid obtained from Chondrodendron tomentosum, used to relax skeletal muscles.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for curare
curare
[ ku-rä′rē, kyu- ]
A dark, resinous extract obtained from several tropical American woody plants, especially Chondrodendron tomentosum or certain species of Strychnos, used as an arrow poison by some Indian peoples of South America.
A purified preparation of an alkaloid obtained from Chondrodendron tomentosum, used in medicine and surgery to relax skeletal muscles.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.