acocantherin
|a-co-can-ther-in|
/əˌkɒkænˈθɛrɪn/
toxic plant compound
Etymology
'acocantherin' originates from the genus name 'Acokanthera', which is derived from Greek 'akokanthos', meaning 'pointed flower'.
'Acokanthera' was adopted into scientific Latin from Greek, and the compound 'acocantherin' was formed to describe the specific glycoside found in these plants.
Initially, it referred specifically to the plant genus, but over time it evolved to denote the toxic compound extracted from these plants.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a toxic glycoside found in certain African plants, particularly in the genus Acokanthera, used historically as an arrow poison.
The indigenous people used acocantherin to poison their arrows for hunting.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/04/24 11:21