n.
Pronunciation: ˌ tü-b ō -kyu ̇ - ' rär- ə n, ˌ tyü-, - ˌ ē n
Function: noun
Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary tubo- (fr. Latin tubus tube) + curare + -ine; from its being shipped in sections of hollow bamboo
Date: 1898
: a toxic alkaloid or its crystalline hydrochloride salt C 37 H 42 Cl 2 N 2 O 6 that is obtained chiefly from the bark and stems of a So. American vine ( Chondrodendron tomentosum of the family Menispermaceae) and in its dextrorotatory form constitutes the chief active constituent of curare and is used especially as a skeletal muscle relaxant