IPECACUANHA

Etymology

Noun

ipecacuanha (countable and uncountable, plural ipecacuanhas)

The root of Carapichea ipecacuanha, used as an emetic or purgative; a preparation of this root used as a drug; ipecac. [from 17th c.]

The flowering plant Carapichea ipecacuanha. [from 18th c.]

Source: Wiktionary


Ip`e*cac`u*an"ha, n. Etym: [Pg. ipecacuanha (cf. Sp. ipecacuana); fr. Braz. ipe-kaa-guena, prop., a creeping plant that causes vomiting.] (Med. & Bot.)

Definition: The root of a Brazilian rubiaceous herb (Cephaëlis Ipecacuanha), largely employed as an emetic; also, the plant itself; also, a medicinal extract of the root. Many other plants are used as a substitutes; among them are the black or Peruvian ipecac (Psychotria emetica), the white ipecac (Ionidium Ipecacuanha), the bastard or wild ipecac (Asclepias Curassavica), and the undulated ipecac (Richardsonia scabra).

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

13 January 2025

SOAK

(noun) the process of becoming softened and saturated as a consequence of being immersed in water (or other liquid); “a good soak put life back in the wagon”


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