curare

curare /cu·ra·re/ (koo-rah´re) any of a wide variety of highly toxic extracts from various botanical sources, used originally as arrow poisons in South America. An extract of the shrub Chondodendron tomentosum has been used as a skeletal muscle relaxant.

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cu·ra·re or cu·ra·ri (k-rär, ky-)

n.

1. An extract obtained from several tropical American woody plants, especially Chondrodendron tomentosum, used as an arrow poison by some Indian peoples of South America.

2. A purified preparation or alkaloid obtained from Chondrodendron tomentosum, used to relax skeletal muscles.

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curare

any of a wide variety of highly toxic extracts from various botanical sources, including species of Strychnos, a genus of tropical trees; used originally as arrow poisons in South America. A form extracted from the shrub, Chondrodendron tomentosum, has been used as skeletal muscle relaxant. The active principle is d-tubocurarine.

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curare Anesthesiology A neuromuscular-blocking alkaloid used as an adjuvant in surgical anesthesia for skeletal muscle relaxation and to prevent trauma in electroconvulsive therapy