veratrine

[ ver-uh-treen, -trin ]

/ ˈvɛr əˌtrin, -trɪn /

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noun Chemistry, Pharmacology.

a white or grayish-white, slightly water-soluble, poisonous mixture of alkaloids obtained by extraction from the seeds of sabadilla and the rhizomes of white hellebore: formerly used in medicine as a counterirritant in the treatment of rheumatism and neuralgia.

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Also ve·ra·tri·a

[vuh-rey-tree-uh, -ra-]. /vəˈreɪ tri ə, -ˈræ-/.

Compare veratridine.

Origin of veratrine

First recorded in 1815–25; from French, from Latin vērātr(um) “hellebore” + French -ine noun suffix; see -ine² (def. 2)

Words nearby veratrine

Veracruz, veranda, verandaed, verapamil, veratridine, veratrine, verb, verbal, verbal abuse, verbal adjective, verbal auxiliary

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use veratrine in a sentence

Gallic acid occurs but seldom in nature; and always united to brucine, veratrine, or lime.
A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines|Andrew Ure
A milder, but still very useful form of the same kind of action, is produced by veratrine-ointment.
Neuralgia and the Diseases that Resemble it|Francis E. Anstie
Far more useful, in neuralgias generally, is the external application of aconite or of veratrine.
Neuralgia and the Diseases that Resemble it|Francis E. Anstie
The colchiceæ, from which is obtained veratrine, form an exception among the monocotyledons.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 623, December 10, 1887|Various

Used as a friction in rheumatism, and the other cases in which veratrine is employed.
Cooley's Practical Receipts, Volume II|Arnold Cooley

British Dictionary definitions for veratrine

veratrine

veratrin (ˈvɛrətrɪn)

/ (ˈvɛrəˌtriːn) /

noun

a white poisonous mixture obtained from the seeds of sabadilla, consisting of veratridine and several other alkaloids: formerly used in medicine as a counterirritant

Word Origin for veratrine

C19: from Latin vērātrum hellebore + -ine ²

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