a poisonous white crystalline glycoside extracted from certain trees and used as a heart stimulant and, by some African tribes, on poison darts. Formula: C29H44O12.8H2O
Word origin
C19: from French ouabaïo, from Somali waba yo native name of tree
ouabain in American English
(wɑˈbeɪɪn)
noun
a poisonous glycoside, C29H44O12·8H2O, made chiefly from the seeds of an African plant (Strophanthus gratus) of the dogbane family: it is a constituent of a Zulu arrow poison and is used in medicine as a substitute for digitalis when a rapid effect is required for a short time, as in treating congestive heart failure
Word origin
Fr ouabaine < ouabaio, name of an African tree, source of the substance (< Somali waabayyo, arrow poison) + -ine3