Digitalis
WordNet
noun
(1) Any of several plants of the genus Digitalis
(2) A powerful cardiac stimulant obtained from foxglove
WiktionaryText
Etymology
Modern Latin, from (named with reference to the German common name for the plant).
Noun
- A genus of herbaceous shrubs of the Scrophulariaceae family, including the foxglove, Digitalis purpurea.
- A medical extract of Digitalis purpurea prescribed for heart failure etc.
- 2001: The ancient remedy digitalis, extracted from the foxglove plant, for example, acts by blocking sodium channels in heart muscle, preventing potentially dangerous overactivity. — Leslie Iversen, Drugs: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford 2001, p. 25)
Adjective
- Of or belonging to the finger
Related terms
- digitābulum
- digitātus
- digitulus
- digitus