curare

curare definition - medical

cu·ra·re or cu·ra·ri (ko͝o-räˈrē, kyo͝o-)

noun
  1. An extract obtained from several tropical American woody plants, especially Chondrodendron tomentosum, used as an arrow poison by some Indian peoples of South America.
  2. A purified preparation or alkaloid obtained from Chondrodendron tomentosum, used to relax skeletal muscles.

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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