gelsemium

[ jel-see-mee-uhm ]

/ dʒɛlˈsi mi əm /

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noun, plural gel·se·mi·ums, gel·se·mi·a

[jel-see-mee-uh]. /dʒɛlˈsi mi ə/.

the dried rhizome and root of yellow jasmine, formerly used as a sedative in the form of a powder, tincture, or fluid extract.

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Origin of gelsemium

1870–75; <New Latin <Italian gelsom(ino) jasmine + Latin -ium-ium

Words nearby gelsemium

gelignite, Gelligaer, Gell-Mann, gel mineral, gel pen, gelsemium, Gelsenkirchen, gelsolin, gelt, gem, Gemara

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use gelsemium in a sentence

Gelsemium is a very powerful agent for depressing the pulse and the functional activity of the spinal cord.
Insomnia; and Other Disorders of Sleep|Henry M. Lyman
Gelsemium is sometimes a very satisfactory remedy—especially in the febrile attacks to which children are liable.
Insomnia; and Other Disorders of Sleep|Henry M. Lyman
Feverish and irritable conditions yield frequently to aperients, or to gelsemium and quinine.
Insomnia; and Other Disorders of Sleep|Henry M. Lyman
The British Pharmacopoeia contains a tincture of gelsemium, the dose of which is from five to fifteen minims.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 5|Various

The important medicinal plant known in America as the “Carolina jasmine” is not a true jasmine (see Gelsemium).
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 3|Various

British Dictionary definitions for gelsemium

gelsemium

/ (dʒɛlˈsiːmɪəm) /

noun plural -miums or -mia (-mɪə)

any climbing shrub of the loganiaceous genus Gelsemium, of SE Asia and North America, esp the yellow jasmine, having fragrant yellow flowers

the powdered root of the yellow jasmine, formerly used as a sedative

Word Origin for gelsemium

C19: New Latin, from Italian gelsomino jasmine

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