Adjacent Words

Colchicum autumnale definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: bulbous autumn-flowering herb with white, purple or lavender-and-white flowers; native to western and central Europe [syn: autumn crocus, meadow saffron, naked lady, Colchicum autumnale]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Colchicine Col"chi*cine (? or ?), n. [Cf. F. colchicine.] (Chem.) A powerful vegetable alkaloid, C17H19NO5, extracted from the Colchicum autumnale, or meadow saffron, as a white or yellowish amorphous powder, with a harsh, bitter taste; -- called also colchicia.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Colchicum Col"chi*cum, n. [L., a plant with a poisonous root, fr. Colchicus Colchian, fr. Colchis, Gr. ?, an ancient province in Asia, east of the Black Sea, where was the home of Media the sorceress.] (Bot.) A genus of bulbous-rooted plants found in many parts of Europe, including the meadow saffron. Note: Preparations made from the poisonous bulbs and seeds, and perhaps from the flowers, of the Colchicum autumnale (meadow saffron) are used as remedies for gout and rheumatism.