ergot

[ ur-guht, -got ]

noun

1. Plant Pathology.
   1. a disease of rye and other cereal grasses, caused by a fungus of the genus Claviceps, especially C. purpurea, which replaces the affected grain with a long, hard, blackish sclerotial body.
   2. the sclerotial body itself.
2. Pharmacology. the dried sclerotium of C. purpurea, developed on rye plants: used in the production of ergotamine and ergotoxine.

ergot

/ ˈɜːɡət; -ɡɒt /

noun

1. a disease of cereals and other grasses caused by ascomycete fungi of the genus Claviceps, esp C. purpurea, in which the seeds or grain of the plants are replaced by the spore-containing bodies (sclerotia) of the fungus
2. any fungus causing this disease
3. the dried sclerotia of C. purpurea, used as the source of certain alkaloids used to treat haemorrhage, facilitate uterine contraction in childbirth, etc

ergot

/ ûr′gət /

1. A fungus (Claviceps purpurea) that infects rye as well as other cereal grasses fed to livestock. Ergot forms sclerotia (masses of hyphae) that replace individual seeds in the spike of the infected plant and contain a complex mixture of alkaloids, several of which are medicinally important. Ergot is the basic source of ergotamine and lysergic acid. Ingestion of infected rye produces convulsions, hallucinations, and severe vasoconstriction that can lead to gangrene. Ergot poisoning may have been responsible for outbreaks of mass hysteria and reports of demonic visions in medieval Europe.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ergot¹

1675–85; < French: literally, a rooster's spur; Old French argos, argoz, argot spur(s)

Word History and Origins

Origin of ergot¹

C17: from French: spur (of a cock), of unknown origin

Example Sentences

Triptans were five times more effective than ibuprofen, ergots were three times more effective and anti-emetics were two and a half times more effective.

From Science Daily

They’ve embraced only the Old Testament angry God and the apocalyptic parts of Revelation brought on by ergot poisoning.

From Salon

In the early weeks of a pregnancy, midwives helped women restore their periods with plants like pennyroyal, savin, tansy and ergot, and doctors, among others, sold drugs made from herbs.

From The Guardian

Wheat infected with ergot forces farmers to either sell their grain at hefty discounts, or set it aside until they can blend it with clean grain.

From Reuters

The researcher, Albert Hofmann, was synthesizing molecules from ergot—a fungus that commonly infects grains used for bread.

From Scientific American