any of several tropical American plants whose leaves are used as an antidote to snakebite, esp the climbers Mikania guaco, family Asteraceae (composites), or Aristolochia maxima (A. serpentina), family Aristolochiaceae
2.
the leaves of any of these plants
Word origin
C19: from American Spanish
guaco in American English
(ˈgwɑkoʊ)
nounWord forms: pluralˈguacos
any of several South American plants (genus Mikania of the composite family and genus Aristolochia of the birthwort family) used by the natives for asthma, snakebite, etc.