ephedrine

[ih-fed-rin, ef-i-dreen, -drin]

noun

Pharmacology.

1. a white, crystalline alkaloid, C 10 H 15 N, obtained from a species of Ephedra or synthesized: used in medicine chiefly for the treatment of asthma, hay fever, and colds.

ephedrine

/ ɪˈfɛdrɪn, -drɪn, ˈɛfɪˌdriːn /

noun

1. a white crystalline alkaloid obtained from plants of the genus Ephedra: used for the treatment of asthma and hay fever; l-phenyl-2-methylaminopropanol. Formula: C 6 H 5 CH(OH)CH(NHCH 3 )CH 3

ephedrine

1. A white, odorless, powdered or crystalline alkaloid isolated from shrubs of the genus Ephedra or made synthetically. It is used in the treatment of allergies and asthma. Chemical formula: C ₁₀ H ₁₅ NO.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ephedrine¹

1885–90; < New Latin Ephedr ( a ) ephedra + -ine ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of ephedrine¹

C19: from New Latin _ephedra + _-ine ²

Example Sentences

In 2015, while on bail in Kenya, he hatched a plan with Hafeez to transport several tonnes of a drug called ephedrine from a chemical factory in Solapur, India, to Mozambique.

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No action was taken and some have speculated that the players may have consumed the ephedrine in a cold medicine.

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But when the hairs were also screened for drugs, the researchers uncovered a trio of naturally-occurring substances called atropine, scopolamine and ephedrine.

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Along with atropine and scopolamine, which induce hallucinations, scientists found ephedrine, which boosts energy and alertness.

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A chemical analysis of the hair revealed evidence of three alkaloid substances known to produce altered states of consciousness: ephedrine, atropine and scopolamine.

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