ouabain Hear it!

ouabain definition

oua·bain (wä bā′in)

noun

a poisonous glycoside, CHO·8HO, made chiefly from the seeds of an African plant (Strophanthus gratus) of the dogbane family: it is a constituent of a Zulu arrow poison and is used in medicine as a substitute for digitalis when a rapid effect is required for a short time, as in treating congestive heart failure

Etymology: Fr ouabaine < ouabaio, name of an African tree, source of the substance (< Somali waabayyo, arrow poison) + -ine

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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