ouabain

[ wah-bah-in ]

noun

, Pharmacology.

1. a glycoside occurring as a white, crystalline powder, C 2 9 H 4 4 O 1 2 , obtained from the seeds of a shrub, Strophanthus gratus, or from the wood of trees of the genus Acokanthera, and used in medicine chiefly as a cardiac stimulant.

ouabain

/ ˈwɑːbɑːɪn /

noun

1. a poisonous white crystalline glycoside extracted from certain trees and used as a heart stimulant and, by some African tribes, on poison darts. Formula: C 29 H 44 O 12 .8H 2 O

Word History and Origins

Origin of ouabain¹

1890–95; < French ouaba ( ïo ) (< Somali waabayyo arrow poison) + -in ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of ouabain¹

C19: from French ouabaïo, from Somali waba yo native name of tree

Example Sentences

His team then transplanted ONPs into the ears of gerbils that had been treated with ouabain, a chemical that damages auditory nerves, but not hair cells.

From Scientific American

That's probably because it's costly: Crested rat ancestors had to evolve not only hefty skin, which isn't easy to lug around, but also an immunity to ouabain.

From Science Magazine

That bark carries large amounts of ouabain, a chemical that overstimulates heart muscle, similar to the poison curare, commonly obtained from South American plants.

From Science Magazine

Associated words: barb, ouabain, sagittal, sagittary, quiver, sheaf, belomancy. arrowhead, n.

From Project Gutenberg