sparteine

[ spahr-tee-een, -in ]

noun

1. a bitter, poisonous, liquid alkaloid obtained from certain species of broom, especially Cytisus scoparius, used in medicine to stimulate the heart and also the uterine muscles in childbirth.

sparteine

/ -ɪn; ˈspɑːtɪˌiːn /

noun

1. a viscous oily alkaloid extracted from the broom plant and lupin seeds. It has been used in medicine to treat heart arrhythmias

Word History and Origins

Origin of sparteine¹

1850–55; irregular < New Latin Sparti ( um ) name of a genus of broom (< Greek spárt ( os ) kind of broom + New Latin -ium -ium ) + -ine ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of sparteine¹

C19: from New Latin Spartium, from Greek spartos broom

Example Sentences

Sparteine neutralises acids fully, but the oxalate is the only one which can be readily obtained in crystals.

From Project Gutenberg