strychnine

American  

[strik-nin, -neen, -nahyn] / ˈstrɪk nɪn, -nin, -naɪn /

Also strychnia

noun

1. Pharmacology. a colorless, crystalline poison, C 2 1 H 2 2 N 2 O 2 , obtained chiefly by extraction from the seeds of nux vomica, formerly used as a central nervous system stimulant.

2. an Indian tree, Strychnos nux-vomica, of the logania family, having small, yellowish-white flowers in clusters, berrylike fruit, and seeds that yield strychnine.

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strychnine British  

/ ˈstrɪkniːn /

noun

1. a white crystalline very poisonous alkaloid, obtained from the plant nux vomica: formerly used in small quantities as a stimulant of the central nervous system and the appetite. Formula: C 21 H 22 O 2 N 2

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strychnine Scientific  

/ strĭk′nīn′ /

1. An extremely poisonous, white crystalline compound derived from the seeds of the nux vomica tree. Strychnine is an alkaloid and was formerly used in medicine to stimulate the nervous system. It is currently used as a rat poison. Chemical formula: C ₂₁ H ₂₂ O ₂ N ₂ .

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Other Word Forms

• strychnic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of strychnine

1810–20; < French, equivalent to New Latin Strychn ( os ) genus name (< Greek strýchnos a kind of nightshade) + French -ine -ine ²

Example Sentences

Strychnine and brucine exist in combination with igasuric acid discovered by Ludwig in 1873.

From The Medicinal Plants of the Philippines by Thomas, Jerome Beers

Strychnine is much less likely, however, to save life after poisoning by chloral hydrate, than chloral hydrate is to save life in poisoning by strychnine.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 3 "Chitral" to "Cincinnati" by Various

Strychnine is considered indispensable to the outfit of a California shepherd, and the grizzlies have been killed or forced to the mountains, where they still linger in considerable numbers in the chapparal.

From The Galaxy, June 1877 Vol. XXIII.—June, 1877.—No. 6. by Various

Limberg, Gruyère, Alkmaar, Neufchâtel, Camembert and Hoboken—all these famous cheeses will some day pale into whey before the puissance of the Strychnine curd.

From Shandygaff by Morley, Christopher

Strychnine is found in them in the proportion of ½–1½ and brucine ½%–1.4%.

From The Medicinal Plants of the Philippines by Thomas, Jerome Beers