Definition

A bitter and poisonous substance that comes from a specific vine and is used as a stimulant, particularly to treat certain types of poisoning.

Example

Doctors sometimes use picrotoxin as an antidote for barbiturate overdoses.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of picrotoxin?

Yeah, I think it’s used as an antidote for poisoning, right?

Exactly! I read that it's derived from a plant seed.

That’s pretty interesting — nature has some wild remedies!

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Picrotoxin is formed from "picra" (from Greek "pikros", meaning bitter) and "toxin" (from Greek "toxikon", meaning poison). The word describes a bitter poison derived from certain plants, particularly used in pharmacology.

Memory Tip

Think of 'bitter' ('picra') to remember that 'picrotoxin' refers to a bitter poison.

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