ˌkän.trəˈyərvə, ˌkōn.-, -yer- noun
or con·tra·hier·ba -trəˈyerbə, -yervə
( -s )
Etymology: Spanish contrayerba, contrahierba, from contra- + yerba, hierba herb, grass, poison, from Latin herba herb; from the belief that it was a poison antidote — more at herb
: a tropical American herb ( Dorstenia contrayerva ) the aromatic root of which was formerly used as a stimulant, tonic, and diaphoretic ; also : any West Indian species of Aristolochia similarly used