guaco

American  

[gwah-koh] / ˈgwɑ koʊ /

noun

plural

guacos

1. a climbing composite plant, Mikania guaco, of tropical America.

2. its leaves, or a substance obtained from them, sometimes used locally as an antidote for snakebites.

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guaco British  

/ ˈɡwɑːkəʊ /

noun

1. any of several tropical American plants whose leaves are used as an antidote to snakebite, esp the climbers Mikania guaco, family Asteraceae (composites), or Aristolochia maxima ( A. serpentina ), family Aristolochiaceae

2. the leaves of any of these plants

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Etymology

Origin of guaco

First recorded in 1815–25; from Latin American Spanish

Example Sentences

The Tex-Mex chain is going big for this year’s National Guacamole Day and turned itself into “Del Guaco.”

From Fox News

He informs us that the plant thus employed is the vejuco de guaco, hence denominated from its having been observed that the bird of that name also called the serpent-hawk, usually sucked the juice of this plant before his attacks upon poisonous serpents.

From Project Gutenberg

GUACO, Huaco or Guao, also Vejuco and Bejuco, terms applied to various Central and South American and West Indian plants, in repute for curative virtues.

From Project Gutenberg

The disputes that have arisen as to what is “the true guaco” are to be attributed mainly to the fact that the names of the American Indians for all natural objects are generic, and their genera not always in coincidence with those of naturalists.

From Project Gutenberg

The odour alone of guaco 644 has been said to cause in snakes a state of stupor and torpidity; and Humboldt, who observed that the near approach of a rod steeped in guaco-juice was obnoxious to the venomous Coluber corallinus, was of opinion that inoculation with it imparts to the perspiration an odour which makes reptiles unwilling to bite.

From Project Gutenberg