Definition

1. Noun:
   • A toxic alkaloid substance: Curare is a poisonous substance obtained from certain tropical South American plants, historically used as an arrow poison by indigenous peoples.
   • A muscle relaxant: In medicine, curare refers to this substance or its derivatives, which block nerve signals to skeletal muscles, causing paralysis.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The indigenous tribe used curare on the tips of their hunting arrows.
  • A derivative of curare is sometimes used as a muscle relaxant in surgical anesthesia.

Advanced Usage

• "Curare-like effect": Describing a substance or condition that causes paralysis by blocking neuromuscular transmission, similar to curare.
  • The toxin had a curare-like effect, leading to respiratory muscle failure.

Variants and Related Words

• Curariform (adj): Resembling curare in its action.
  • The drug has a curariform effect on the muscles.

Synonyms

• Tubocurarine: A specific alkaloid and the active principle of curare.
• Neuromuscular blocking agent: A general term for drugs that prevent nerve-to-muscle communication.

Notes on Different Meanings

• Historical/Ethnobotanical Meaning: Primarily refers to the complex, prepared arrow poison used by indigenous South American cultures.
• Medical/Pharmacological Meaning: Refers to the purified alkaloids (like d-tubocurarine) derived from the poison, used for their specific muscle-paralyzing properties.

Noun

1. a toxic alkaloid found in certain tropical South American trees that is a powerful relaxant for striated muscles
   • curare acts by blocking cholinergic transmission at the myoneural junction