contrayerva
noun
con·tra·yer·va
ˌkän‧trəˈyərvə,
ˌkōn‧-,
-yer-
variants or contrahierba
-trəˈyerbə,
-yervə
plural -s
: a tropical American herb (Dorstenia contrayerva) the aromatic root of which was formerly used as a stimulant, tonic, and diaphoretic
also : any West Indian species of Aristolochia similarly used
Word History
Etymology
Spanish contrayerba, contrahierba, from contra- + yerba, hierba herb, grass, poison, from Latin herba herb; from the belief that it was a poison antidote