strychnine Hear it!

strychnine Definition

strych·nine (strik′nin, -nēn′, -nīn′)

noun

a highly poisonous, colorless, crystalline alkaloid, CHNO, obtained from nux vomica and other similar plants

Etymology: Fr < ModL Strychnos < L < Gr strychnos, nightshade

strychnine Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • use: Depending on demand we may issue permits to use strychnine up to 1 August 2006.
  • purchase: To allow time for processing, all applications to purchase strychnine must be received by the departments by 28 April 2006.
  • contain: There's not enough space on a LSD blotter to contain enough strychnine to poison you.
  • take: So we cannot work with any company to take strychnine off the market.
  • support: There is still time to support strychnine under the Biocidal Products Directive.
  • buy: In his testimony he gave Palmer an alibi for the time when Newton claimed that Palmer had bought strychnine.

Modifies a noun

  • hydrochloride: Defra and the agriculture departments in Scotland and Wales now issue permits for purchase and use of strychnine hydrochloride only for biocidal purposes.
  • poisoning: The symptoms of death were regarded as being consistent with strychnine poisoning.
  • block: Strychnine blocks glycine receptors in the brain, causing muscle convulsions and death.

Noun used with modifier

  • poison: Now that the poison strychnine is to be banned for use by licensed trappers the problem will be even greater.