Main Entry:

strych·nine

Pronunciation:

\ˈstrik-ˌnīn, -nən, -ˌnēn\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

French, from New Latin Strychnos, from Latin, nightshade, from Greek

Date:

1819

: a bitter poisonous alkaloid C₂₁H₂₂N₂O₂ that is obtained from nux vomica and related plants (genus Strychnos) and is used as a poison (as for rodents) and medicinally as a stimulant of the central nervous system