strophanthus

[ stroh-fan-thuhs ]

/ stroʊˈfæn θəs /

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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.

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Origin of strophanthus

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

Words nearby strophanthus

strontium monoxide, strontium unit, strook, strop, strophanthin, strophanthus, strophe, strophic, strophoid, strophulus, stropper

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use strophanthus in a sentence

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
A little tincture of strophanthus used to relieve me during intermittence.
Life of Elie Metchnikoff, 1845-1916|Olga Metchnikoff
The well-known diuretic properties of digitalis, strophanthus and squills are greatly enhanced by the addition of the oxysaponin.
The Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines, Vol. 2 of 2|Various

The action of digitalis, moreover, persists much longer than does that of strophanthus.
The Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines, Vol. 2 of 2|Various

British Dictionary definitions for strophanthus

strophanthus

/ (strəʊˈfænθəs) /

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