Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun An aromatic bitterish root exported from tropical America, and used as a stimulant and tonic.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Bot.) A species of Dorstenia (
Dorstenia Contrayerva ), a South American plant, the aromatic root of which is sometimes used in medicine as a gentle stimulant and tonic.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun botany Dorstenia contrayerva, a
South American plant whosearomatic root is sometimes used inmedicine as a gentlestimulant andtonic .
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Spanish contrayerba, literally, a counter-herb, hence an antidote for poison, from Latin contra + herba herb.
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Examples
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Barton, in his Collections, states that it is allied to the contrayerva of the shops.
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Dr. Grew says it resembles contrayerva in its effects.
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The things wrote for are puting up at Groses, and just now thay are com, all but the radix contrayerva; here is non but what is, it may be, as old as what you haue; we know not well the use, or dose of it; I think it works.
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