atropine
|a-tro-pine|
🇺🇸
/əˈtroʊpiːn/
🇬🇧
/əˈtrəʊpiːn/
antimuscarinic tropane alkaloid (belladonna-derived)
Etymology
'atropine' originates from New Latin, specifically the word 'atropinum', formed from 'Atropa' (the plant genus name 'Atropa belladonna') plus the chemical suffix '-ine'. 'Atropa' in turn refers to the Greek mythological figure 'Atropos'.
'atropine' was named in New Latin as 'atropinum' in the 19th century after the plant genus 'Atropa'; the genus name comes from Greek 'Atropos' (one of the Three Fates). The modern English 'atropine' developed from this New Latin form.
Initially the name linked the substance to the plant 'Atropa' (and thus to deadly/toxic connotations from 'Atropos'); over time it became the standard chemical/drug name for the specific tropane alkaloid used medically.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a toxic tropane alkaloid found in plants of the nightshade family (especially Atropa belladonna), chemically an antimuscarinic agent.
Atropine was first isolated from deadly nightshade.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a medicine (the drug form of atropine) used to dilate pupils, reduce saliva and secretions, treat bradycardia, and as an antidote for organophosphate or nerve-agent poisoning.
The paramedics administered atropine to counteract the organophosphate poisoning.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/17 20:59