guaco

American  

[gwah-koh] / ˈgwɑ koʊ /

noun

plural

guacos

1. a climbing composite plant, Mikania guaco, of tropical America.

2. its leaves, or a substance obtained from them, sometimes used locally as an antidote for snakebites.

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guaco British  

/ ˈɡwɑːkəʊ /

noun

1. any of several tropical American plants whose leaves are used as an antidote to snakebite, esp the climbers Mikania guaco, family Asteraceae (composites), or Aristolochia maxima ( A. serpentina ), family Aristolochiaceae

2. the leaves of any of these plants

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Etymology

Origin of guaco

First recorded in 1815–25; from Latin American Spanish

Example Sentences

M. guaco Humboldt mentions, under the name of Vijuco del Guaco, as being highly esteemed in South America as a valuable antidote against the bite of serpents.

From The Romance of Natural History, Second Series by Gosse, Philip Henry

"When I have bound more guaco leaves on this man's wound," was the answer, and now the boys noticed that he had brought a fresh supply of the wonderful shrub.

From The Search for the Silver City A Tale of Adventure in Yucatan by Otis, James

They feed on the fig, wild guaco, and other fruit-trees.

From The Western World Picturesque Sketches of Nature and Natural History in North and South America by Kingston, William Henry Giles

But the polygala is quite inodorous, while the guaco gives forth a strong aromatic smell, resembling valerian.

From The Quadroon Adventures in the Far West by Reid, Mayne

It fortunately occurred to me, that the guaco, so celebrated for curing the bite or sting of all venomous snakes, might prove equally efficacious in hydrophobic cases.

From The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction Volume 13, No. 372, May 30, 1829 by Various