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nux vomica

[nuhks vom-i-kuh]
noun
  1. the seed of the orangelike fruit of an East Indian tree, Strychnos nux-vomica, of the logania family, containing strychnine, used in medicine.
  2. the tree itself; strychnine.
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Origin of nux vomica

1570–80; < New Latin: literally, vomiting nut
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for nux vomica

nux vomica

noun
  1. an Indian spiny loganiaceous tree, Strychnos nux-vomica, with orange-red berries containing poisonous seeds
  2. any of the seeds of this tree, which contain strychnine and other poisonous alkaloids
  3. a medicine manufactured from the seeds of this tree, formerly used as a heart stimulant
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Word Origin

C16: from Medieval Latin: vomiting nut
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