Ratany

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The dried root of a South American shrub, used in medicine and dentistry for its astringent properties
2. A tough, astringent root obtained from a South American plant and used to treat bleeding and inflamed tissue
3. Plant root from the Peruvian shrub Krameria, valued as a drug for tightening tissues and checking bleeding

Etymology: Ratany is a variant spelling of "rhatany," the name for the astringent root of a South American shrub, and the word reached English from Spanish "ratania." That Spanish form points to the plant's home in the Andes, where it was used for generations before European botanists and apothecaries took notice. The root's strong astringency made it a popular remedy for bleeding gums and for wounds, and it entered English pharmacy under the same Spanish-derived name. The "rh-" spelling in "rhatany" is a later, learned touch. Writers and pharmacists sometimes added the Greek-style "rh" to words borrowed into English, so the spelling "ratany" is the older, simpler form that the Spanish source suggests more directly.

Synonyms: rhatany