curare

(redirected from curari)
Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Encyclopedia.

cu·ra·re

also cu·ra·ri  (ko͝o-rä′rē, kyo͝o-)
n.
1. A dark resinous extract obtained from several tropical American woody plants, especially Chondrodendron tomentosum or certain species of Strychnos, used as an arrow poison by some Indian peoples of South America.
2.
a. Any of several purified preparations of such an extract, used formerly as a drug to relax skeletal muscles during anesthesia.
b. The drug tubocurarine.
3. Any of the plants that yield curare.

[Portuguese or Spanish curaré, both of Cariban and Tupian origin.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

curare

(kjʊˈrɑːrɪ) or

curari

n
1. (Pharmacology) black resin obtained from certain tropical South American trees, esp Chondrodendron tomentosum, acting on the motor nerves to cause muscular paralysis: used medicinally as a muscle relaxant and by South American Indians as an arrow poison
2. (Plants) any of various trees of the genera Chondrodendron (family Menispermaceae) and Strychnos (family Loganiaceae) from which this resin is obtained
[C18: from Portuguese and Spanish, from Carib kurari]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

cu•ra•re

or cu•ra•ri

(kyʊˈrɑr i, kʊ-)

n.
1. a blackish, resinlike substance derived chiefly from tropical plants belonging to the genus Strychnos, of the logania family, esp. S. toxifera, used as an arrow poison for its effect of arresting the action of motor nerves.
2. a plant yielding this substance.
[1770–80; < Portuguese < Carib kurari]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.curare - a toxic alkaloid found in certain tropical South American trees that is a powerful relaxant for striated muscles; "curare acts by blocking cholinergic transmission at the myoneural junction"
alkaloid - natural bases containing nitrogen found in plants
neuromuscular blocking agent - a substance that interferes with the neural transmission between motor neurons and skeletal muscles
phytotoxin, plant toxin - any substance produced by plants that is similar in its properties to extracellular bacterial toxin
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations

curare

[kjʊəˈrɑːrɪ] Ncurare m
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

cu·ra·re

n. curare, veneno extraído de varios tipos de plantas y usado como relajante muscular y anestésico.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012