ephedra

American  

[ih-fed-ruh, ef-i-druh] / ɪˈfɛd rə, ˈɛf ɪ drə /

noun

1. any of various plants of the genus Ephedra, growing in dry regions and having branching stems with dry scalelike leaves.

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ephedra British  

/ ɪˈfɛdrə /

noun

1. any gymnosperm shrub of the genus Ephedra, of warm regions of America and Eurasia: the source of ephedrine: family Ephedraceae , phylum Gnetophyta

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Etymology

Origin of ephedra

< New Latin (Linnaeus) < Greek ephédra the horsetail plant, literally, sitting (upon a place), equivalent to ep- ep- + hédra seat, sitting ( see cathedra)

Compare meaning

How does ephedra compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• ephedra vs. ephedrine

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ephedra

North of the pavement, the North Algodones Dunes Wilderness holds a quieter terrain, where sunflower, ephedra and honey mesquite anchor the sand in subtle defiance of the wind.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2026

Previously, the Taliban were understood to charge tax on ephedra.

From BBC ● Dec. 11, 2021

Peter Lurie, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, points to ephedra as the poster supplement for the harm the category can do.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 24, 2020

It is much more likely that isolated cases will go unnoticed, as happened with ephedra, and it could take years to identify a common cause.

From Slate ● Nov. 26, 2012

There were chenopodiaceous and other shrubs along the beach; and, at the foot of the rocks, an abundance of ephedra occidentalis, whose dark-green color makes them evergreens among the shrubby growth of the lake.

From The Exploring Expedition to the Rocky Mountains, Oregon and California To which is Added a Description of the Physical Geography of California, with Recent Notices of the Gold Region from the Latest and Most Authentic Sources by Frémont, John Charles