First Known Use: 1597
Dictionary
colchicum
noun col·chi·cum \ˈkäl-chi-kəm, ˈkäl-ki-\
Definition of COLCHICUM
1
: any of a genus (Colchicum) of Old World corm-producing herbs of the lily family with flowers that resemble crocuses
2
: the dried corm or dried seeds of autumn crocus containing colchicine, possessing emetic, diuretic, and cathartic action, and used to treat gout
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Origin of COLCHICUM
New Latin, genus name, from Latin, a kind of plant with a poisonous root, from Greek kolchikon, literally, product of Colchis
Medical Dictionary
colchicum
noun col·chi·cum \-kəm\
Medical Definition of COLCHICUM
1
capitalized : a genus of chiefly fall-blooming Old World corm-producing herbs (family Liliaceae) that produce flowers resembling crocuses
2
: a bulb, flower, or plant (as the autumn crocus) of the genus Colchicum
3
: the dried corm or dried ripe seeds of the autumn crocus containing the alkaloid colchicine, possessing an emetic, diuretic, and cathartic action, and used to treat gout—called also colchicum root
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