nouna poisonous alkaloid obtained from deadly nightshade, having an inhibitory action on the autonomic nervous system. It is used medicinally in pre-anaesthetic medication, to speed a slow heart rate, and as an emergency first-aid counter to exposure to chemical warfare nerve agents. Formula: C17H23NO3
Word origin
C19: from New Latin
atropa deadly nightshade, from Greek
atropos unchangeable, inflexible; see
Atropos