rauwolfia
[ raw-wool-fee-uh, rou- ]
/ rɔˈwʊl fi ə, raʊ- /
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noun
any tropical tree or shrub of the genus Rauwolfia, as R. serpentina, of India.
an extract from the roots of the rauwolfia, R. serpentina, containing alkaloids the most important of which is reserpine: used in medicine chiefly for the treatment of hypertension and as a sedative.
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Origin of rauwolfia
1745–55; <New Latin, named after L. Rauwolf, 16th-century German botanist;see -ia
Words nearby rauwolfia
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
British Dictionary definitions for rauwolfia
rauwolfia
/ (rɔːˈwʊlfɪə, raʊ-) /
noun
any tropical tree or shrub of the apocynaceous genus Rauwolfia, esp R. serpentina of SE Asia
the powdered root of R. serpentina : a source of various drugs, esp reserpine
Word Origin for rauwolfia
C19: New Latin, named after Leonhard Rauwolf (died 1596), German botanist
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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