Strychnines

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A toxic alkaloid obtained from certain plants, primarily used historically as a rat poison and in medicine in small doses
2. A highly poisonous compound derived from the seeds of the Strychnos nux-vomica tree, affecting the nervous system and causing convulsions
3. An alkaloid that induces muscle contractions and is used in pharmacology, known for its severe toxicity and potential to be lethal

Etymology: "Strychnines" is simply the plural of "strychnine", the bitter alkaloid extracted from the seeds of the Strychnos nux-vomica tree. The alkaloid's name comes from French "strychnine", which in turn descends from the Greek "strýchnos", the name of a plant the ancient Greeks called "sleepy nightshade". The "-ine" ending is the standard French and English suffix for chemical substances, which is why chemists could label a compound this way without any reference to the plant's older, more sinister reputation. The plural form is used when referring to several distinct examples of the compound, or to a group of closely related alkaloids. Its origin in the Greek plant name is the reason the word sounds like a relative of "nightshade" and "nightshade's" soporific cousins, though the connection is one of naming rather than chemistry: the seeds are not sedative in the way the name suggests.