curare

cu·ra·re also cu·ra·ri  (k-rär, ky-)

n.

1. A dark resinous extract obtained from several tropical American woody plants, especially Chondrodendron tomentosum or certain species of Strychnos, used as an arrow poison by some Indian peoples of South America.

2. A purified preparation or alkaloid obtained from Chondrodendron tomentosum, used in medicine and surgery to relax skeletal muscles.

3. A plant yielding curare.

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[Portuguese or Spanish curaré, both of Cariban and Tupian origin.]

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curare, curari [kjʊˈrɑːrɪ]

n

1. (Medicine / Pharmacology) black resin obtained from certain tropical South American trees, esp Chondrodendron tomentosum, acting on the motor nerves to cause muscular paralysis: used medicinally as a muscle relaxant and by South American Indians as an arrow poison

2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) any of various trees of the genera Chondrodendron (family Menispermaceae) and Strychnos (family Loganiaceae) from which this resin is obtained

[from Portuguese and Spanish, from Carib kurari]

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curare  (k-rär, ky-)

1. A dark, resinous extract obtained from several tropical American woody plants, especially Chondrodendron tomentosum or certain species of Strychnos, used as an arrow poison by some Indian peoples of South America.

2. A purified preparation of an alkaloid obtained from Chondrodendron tomentosum, used in medicine and surgery to relax skeletal muscles.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

curare - a toxic alkaloid found in certain tropical South American trees that is a powerful relaxant for striated muscles; "curare acts by blocking cholinergic transmission at the myoneural junction" tubocurarine alkaloid - natural bases containing nitrogen found in plants neuromuscular blocking agent - a substance that interferes with the neural transmission between motor neurons and skeletal muscles phytotoxin, plant toxin - any substance produced by plants that is similar in its properties to extracellular bacterial toxin

Translations

curare [kjʊəˈrɑːrɪ] N → curare m