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pilocarpine

[ pahy-luh-kahr-peen, -pin, pil-uh- ]
/ ˌpaɪ ləˈkɑr pin, -pɪn, ˌpɪl ə- /
|

noun Pharmacology.

an oil or crystalline alkaloid, C11H16N2O2, obtained from jaborandi, and used chiefly to produce sweating, promote the flow of saliva, contract the pupil of the eye, and for glaucoma.

Nearby words

pills, pillsbury, pillwort, pilo-, pilobezoar, pilocarpine, pilocystic, piloerection, piloid, pilojection, pilomatrixoma

Origin of pilocarpine

1870–75; < New Latin Pilocarp(us) name of the genus of shrubs which includes jaborandi (< Greek pîlo(s) felt, wool or hair made into felt + -o- -o- + -karpos -carp) + -ine1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

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British Dictionary definitions for pilocarpine

pilocarpine

pilocarpin (ˌpaɪləʊˈkɑːpɪn)

/ (ˌpaɪləʊˈkɑːpaɪn, -pɪn) /

noun

an alkaloid extracted from the leaves of the jaborandi tree, formerly used to induce sweating. Formula: C 11 H 16 N 2 O 2

Word Origin for pilocarpine

C19: from New Latin Pilocarpus genus name, from Greek pilos hair + karpos fruit
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

Medicine definitions for pilocarpine

pilocarpine

[ pī′lō-kär′pēn′ ]

n.

A colorless or yellow poisonous compound used to induce sweating, promote salivation, and treat glaucoma.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.