colchicum

col·chi·cum

noun \ˈkäl-chi-kəm, ˈkäl-ki-\

Definition of COLCHICUM

1

: any of a genus (Colchicum) of Old World corm-producing herbs of the lily family with flowers that resemble crocuses

2

: the dried corm or dried seeds of autumn crocus containing colchicine, possessing emetic, diuretic, and cathartic action, and used to treat gout

Origin of COLCHICUM

New Latin, genus name, from Latin, a kind of plant with a poisonous root, from Greek kolchikon, literally, product of Colchis

First Known Use: 1597

col·chi·cum

noun \-kəm\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of COLCHICUM

1

capitalized : a genus of chiefly fall-blooming Old World corm-producing herbs (family Liliaceae) that produce flowers resembling crocuses

2

: a bulb, flower, or plant (as the autumn crocus) of the genus Colchicum

3

: the dried corm or dried ripe seeds of the autumn crocus containing the alkaloid colchicine, possessing an emetic, diuretic, and cathartic action, and used to treat gout—called also colchicum root