Atropine

//ˈa.tɹə.piːn// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    An alkaloid extracted from the plant deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna) and other sources, such as the seeds of the thorn-apple. Though overdoses would be fatal it is used as a drug in medicine for its paralytic effects (e.g. in surgery to relax muscles, in dentistry to dry the mouth, in ophthalmology to dilate the pupils). countable, uncountable
  2. 2
    a poisonous crystalline alkaloid extracted from the nightshade family; used as an antispasmodic and to dilate the eye pupil; also administered in large amounts as an antidote for organophosphate nerve agents or organophosphate insecticides wordnet

Example

More examples

"Finally it must be added, that if the ophthalmoscopic estimation of refraction is to be exact, mydriasis by atropine is required, when, as is known, even emmetropic eyes may show a slight degree of hypermetropia."

Etymology

From Latin Atropa (“genus of deadly nightshade”) + -ine.

Related phrases

atropa belladonnadeadly nightshade

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.