digitalis
Americannoun
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any plant belonging to the genus Digitalis, of the figwort family, especially the common foxglove, D. purpurea.
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the dried leaves of the foxglove, Digitalis purpurea, used in medicine as a heart stimulant.
noun
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any Eurasian scrophulariaceous plant of the genus Digitalis, such as the foxglove, having bell-shaped flowers and a basal rosette of leaves
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a drug prepared from the dried leaves or seeds of the foxglove: a mixture of glycosides used medicinally to treat heart failure and some abnormal heart rhythms
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any cardiac glycoside, whatever its origin
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Etymology
Origin of digitalis
1655–65; < New Latin digitālis, a name apparently suggested by the German name for the foxglove, Fingerhut literally, thimble; see digital
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Foxglove - digitalis - is a source of digitoxin, a glycoside in the drug digitalis, which has been used as a heart stimulant since 1785.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2023
In late spring there are parrot tulips everywhere, and the belled stalks of purple digitalis burst through blossoms of yellow euphorbia.
From New York Times ● Mar. 16, 2021
This week I met Hossein Derakhshan, a true Homo digitalis once known as Iran’s “blogfather”, whose activities earned him six years in prison.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 23, 2018
He was put on digitalis and digoxin and, to rid him of his excess water weight, the diuretic Lasix.
From Salon ● Nov. 28, 2014
Fortunately many of the preparations of digitalis used in the past were quite inert, and so no harm was done.
From Psychotherapy by James J. (James Joseph) Walsh
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