STRYCHNINES

Noun

strychnines

plural of strychnine

Source: Wiktionary


STRYCHNINE

Strych"nine, n. Etym: [L. strychnos a kind of nightshade, Gr. strychnine.] (Chem.)

Definition: A very poisonous alkaloid resembling brucine, obtained from various species of plants, especially from species of Loganiaceæ, as from the seeds of the St. Ignatius bean (Strychnos Ignatia) and from nux vomica. It is obtained as a white crystalline substance, having a very bitter acrid taste, and is employed in medicine (chiefly in the form of the sulphate) as a powerful neurotic stimulant. Called also strychnia, and formerly strychnina.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

2 March 2025

LOITER

(verb) be about; “The high school students like to loiter in the Central Square”; “Who is this man that is hanging around the department?”


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Coffee Trivia

Contrary to popular belief, coffee beans are not technically beans. They are referred to as such because of their resemblance to legumes. A coffee bean is a seed of the Coffea plant and the source for coffee. It is the pit inside the red or purple fruit, often referred to as a cherry. Just like ordinary cherries, the coffee fruit is also a so-called stone fruit.

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