atropine
noun
at·ro·pine ˈa-trə-ˌpēn 
: a racemic mixture of hyoscyamine obtained from any of various solanaceous plants (such as belladonna) and used especially in the form of its sulfate for its anticholinergic effects (such as pupil dilation or inhibition of smooth muscle spasms)
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Steroidal alkaloids such as solanine have atropine-like effects on the nervous system inhibiting the enzyme acetylcholinesterase. 
Chris Smith, BGR, 28 July 2022 That shows up in the chapter on atropine, the toxin in deadly nightshade that blocks the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, and again in the chapter on strychnine, a popular rat killer that blocks the neurotransmitter glycine. Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, 13 Mar. 2022 Skripal was severely stricken, along with his daughter, Yulia, and a local police officer, but all three recovered after aggressive treatment by British doctors using atropine, an nerve-agent antidote. Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2022 Low concentration eye drops of a pupil-dilating substance called atropine have been shown to be extremely effective for many patients when administered daily, Walline says. Fortune, 12 Jan. 2022 In addition to the hyoscyamine, other medications used include: atropine eyedrops under the tongue; the antidepressant amitriptyline; and glycopyrrolate. Dr. Keith Roach, oregonlive, 3 Dec. 2021 The doctors then went back and analyzed blood taken from the patient at the time, finding the atropine at high concentrations in his blood too. Victoria Forster, Forbes, 1 June 2021 Using a technique called mass spectrometry, Robinson and his colleagues studied the chemical composition of four of the bundles and found the compounds scopolamine and atropine—the same chemical mixture that’s found in datura. Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, 24 Nov. 2020 The flower contains the alkaloids scopolamine and atropine, which are considered an entheogen—a psychoactive compound used in a spiritual context. David Shultz, Science | AAAS, 23 Nov. 2020 See More
Chris Smith, BGR, 28 July 2022 That shows up in the chapter on atropine, the toxin in deadly nightshade that blocks the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, and again in the chapter on strychnine, a popular rat killer that blocks the neurotransmitter glycine. Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, 13 Mar. 2022 Skripal was severely stricken, along with his daughter, Yulia, and a local police officer, but all three recovered after aggressive treatment by British doctors using atropine, an nerve-agent antidote. Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2022 Low concentration eye drops of a pupil-dilating substance called atropine have been shown to be extremely effective for many patients when administered daily, Walline says. Fortune, 12 Jan. 2022 In addition to the hyoscyamine, other medications used include: atropine eyedrops under the tongue; the antidepressant amitriptyline; and glycopyrrolate. Dr. Keith Roach, oregonlive, 3 Dec. 2021 The doctors then went back and analyzed blood taken from the patient at the time, finding the atropine at high concentrations in his blood too. Victoria Forster, Forbes, 1 June 2021 Using a technique called mass spectrometry, Robinson and his colleagues studied the chemical composition of four of the bundles and found the compounds scopolamine and atropine—the same chemical mixture that’s found in datura. Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, 24 Nov. 2020 The flower contains the alkaloids scopolamine and atropine, which are considered an entheogen—a psychoactive compound used in a spiritual context. David Shultz, Science | AAAS, 23 Nov. 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
German Atropin, from New Latin Atropa, genus name of belladonna, from Greek Atropos, one of the three Fates
First Known Use
1820, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
atropine
noun
at·ro·pine ˈa-trə-ˌpēn
: a racemic mixture of hyoscyamine usually obtained from belladonna and related plants of the family Solanaceae and used especially in the form of its hydrated sulfate (C17H23NO3)2·H2SO4·H2O for its anticholinergic effects (as relief of smooth muscle spasms or dilation of the pupil of the eye)