ouabain
noun
oua·bain
| \ wä-ˈbā-ən
, ˈwä-ˌbān
\
, ˈwä-ˌbān
\
Definition of ouabain
: a poisonous glycoside C29H44O12 obtained from several African shrubs or trees (genera Strophanthus and Acokanthera) of the dogbane family and used medically like digitalis and in Africa as an arrow poison
Examples of ouabain in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But the arrow’s tip has a secret weapon: the deadly poison ouabain. — Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, "Beyond the Condom," 11 May 2018 At such a dose, ouabain can cause twitching, convulsions, high blood pressure, rapid heart rate, and eventually cardiac arrest. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Poison arrows inspire new male contraceptive, scientists report," 21 Jan. 2018 The ouabain derivative didn’t have any toxic effects, and the rat produced normal levels of sperm. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Poison arrows inspire new male contraceptive, scientists report," 21 Jan. 2018 But ouabain also affects another type of transporter subunit called α4, which is found only in sperm cells. — Smithsonian, "Heart-Stopping Arrow Poison Could Be the Key to Male Birth Control," 31 Jan. 2018 Our results are promising because our candidate molecule, unlike ouabain, is nontoxic in rats. — Smithsonian, "Heart-Stopping Arrow Poison Could Be the Key to Male Birth Control," 31 Jan. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ouabain.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for ouabain
ouabain
noun
oua·bain
| \ wä-ˈbā-ən
, ˈwä-ˌbān
\
, ˈwä-ˌbān
\
Medical Definition of ouabain
: a poisonous glycoside C29H44O12 obtained from several African shrubs or trees of the dogbane family and used medically like digitalis and in Africa as an arrow poison