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mus·ca·rine

(mŭskə-rēn′)

A highly toxic alkaloid, C₉H₂₀NO₂, found in fly agaric and certain other mushrooms. When ingested, it binds to acetylcholine receptors and thus stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system.

[New Latin muscāria, specific epithet (from feminine of Latin muscārius, of flies, from musca, fly) + -INE².]

mus′ca·rinic (-rĭnĭk) adj.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

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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