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ma huang also ma·huang

(mä-hwäng)

1. Any of various East Asian ephedras, especially Ephedra sinica, from which ephedrine and other alkaloids are obtained.

2. See ephedra.

[Mandarin máhuáng, from Middle Chinese maː xɦuaŋ : maː, hemp + xɦuaŋ, yellow.]

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The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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