Definition

A poisonous chemical substance that comes from a specific type of mushroom and affects the nervous system.

Example

Muscarine can cause serious health issues if ingested due to its toxic properties.

Conversation

Did you hear about the dangers of muscarine?

Yeah, I learned it's found in some mushrooms, right?

Exactly! It's pretty scary how toxic muscarine can be if ingested.

I think I'll stick to safe mushrooms from the store!

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Muscarine is derived from "musca" (from Latin, meaning fly) and the suffix "-ine" (used to form adjectives or indicate a chemical substance). The word refers to a chemical compound originally isolated from the fly agaric mushroom, which is associated with flies.

Memory Tip

Think of 'musca' meaning 'fly' — muscarine is named for its connection to the fly agaric mushroom, which is often found in the presence of flies.

Visually Confused Words