ephedra

American

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

noun

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

ephedra British

/ ɪˈfɛdrə /

noun

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

"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

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023