Definition of strychnine
: 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
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Recent Examples of strychnine from the Web
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Then, in the country's only comparable mass kill, U.S. government workers wiped out 22,000 deer with guns and strychnine to control an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.
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At the time, friends and the public assumed the scientist had used strychnine to commit suicide, but Kennicott’s family didn’t believe this explanation.
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The ladies offer each new guest some homemade elderberry wine whose secret ingredients – arsenic, strychnine and cyanide – have a lethal kick.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'strychnine.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of strychnine
French, from New Latin Strychnos, from Latin, nightshade, from Greek
STRYCHNINE Defined for English Language Learners
strychnine
playDefinition of strychnine for English Language Learners
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: a poisonous substance that can be used in very small amounts as a medicine
Medical Dictionary
Medical Definition of strychnine
: a bitter poisonous alkaloid C21H22N2O2 that is obtained from nux vomica and related plants of the genus Strychnos and is used as a poison (as for rodents) and medicinally as a stimulant of the central nervous system
Learn More about strychnine
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See words that rhyme with strychnine Spanish Central: Translation of strychnine Nglish: Translation of strychnine for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about strychnine
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