strophanthus

[stroh-fan-thuh s]

noun, plural stro·phan·thus·es.

any of various shrubs or small trees belonging to the genus Strophanthus, of the dogbane family, chiefly of tropical Africa.
the dried, ripe seed of any of these plants, which yields the drug strophanthin.

Origin of strophanthus

< New Latin (1802) < Greek stróph(os) twine + ánthos flower

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for strophanthus

Historical Examples of strophanthus

Tincture of strophanthus, in 2-dram doses, will quiet the tumultuous action of the heart in some cases where the digitalis fails.
Special Report on Diseases of the Horse
United States Department of Agriculture
Strophanthus regulated and strengthened the heart's action, but only slightly benefited the dyspnœa.
New, Old, and Forgotten Remedies: Papers by Many Writers
Various
It seems to act as well as an aid to Digitalis, or Strophanthus, in cardiac dyspnœa.
New, Old, and Forgotten Remedies: Papers by Many Writers
Various
The exquisitely beautiful seed of Strophanthus Kombe is used as an arrow poison.
The Romance of Plant Life
G. F. Scott Elliot
The poison used here, and called kombi, is obtained from a species of strophanthus, and is very virulent.
A Popular Account of Dr. Livingstone's Expedition to the Zambesi and Its Tributaries
David Livingstone

British Dictionary definitions for strophanthus

strophanthus

noun

any small tree or shrub of the apocynaceous genus Strophanthus, of tropical Africa and Asia, having strap-shaped twisted petals. The seeds of certain species yield the drug strophanthin
the seeds of any of these plants

Word Origin for strophanthus

C19: New Latin, from Greek strophos twisted cord + anthos flower

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