papaverine

UK: /pəˈpeɪvəˌriːn/

US: (pə pav′ə rēn′, -ər in, pə pā′və rēn′, -vər in)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

pa•pav•er•ine  (pə pav′ə rēn′, -ər in, pə pā′və rēn′, -vər in), n. [Pharm.]

1. Drugs a white, crystalline, nonnarcotic, alkaloidal powder, C₂₀H₂₁NO₄, obtained from opium, but not a morphine derivative and not habit-forming or addicting, used in the treatment of spasms of involuntary muscle, esp. of the stomach, bronchi, and arteries.

• Latin papāver poppy + -ine²
• 1855–60

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

papaverine / pəˈpeɪvəˌriːn -rɪn/ noun

1. a white crystalline almost insoluble alkaloid found in opium and used as an antispasmodic to treat coronary spasms and certain types of colic. Formula: C₂₀H₂₁NO₄

Etymology: 19th Century: from Latin papāver poppy