digitalis
[ dij-i-tal-is, -tey-lis ]
/ ˌdɪdʒ ɪˈtæl ɪs, -ˈteɪ lɪs /
noun
any plant belonging to the genus Digitalis, of the figwort family, especially the common foxglove, D. purpurea.
the dried leaves of the foxglove, Digitalis purpurea, used in medicine as a heart stimulant.
Origin of digitalis
1655–65; < New Latin
digitālis, a name apparently suggested by the German name for the foxglove,
Fingerhut literally, thimble; see
digital
Words nearby digitalis
Example sentences from the Web for digitalis
British Dictionary definitions for digitalis
digitalis
/ (ˌdɪdʒɪˈteɪlɪs) /
noun
any Eurasian scrophulariaceous plant of the genus Digitalis, such as the foxglove, having bell-shaped flowers and a basal rosette of leaves
- a drug prepared from the dried leaves or seeds of the foxglove: a mixture of glycosides used medicinally to treat heart failure and some abnormal heart rhythms
- any cardiac glycoside, whatever its origin
Word Origin for digitalis
C17: from New Latin, from Latin: relating to a finger (referring to the corollas of the flower); based on German
Fingerhut foxglove, literally: finger-hat or thimble
Medical definitions for digitalis
digitalis
[ dĭj′ĭ-tăl′ĭs ]
n.
A plant of the genus Digitalis, which includes the foxgloves, several species of which are a source of cardioactive steroid glycosides used in the treatment of certain heart diseases.
A pharmaceutical prepared from the seeds and dried leaves of the purple foxglove, Digitalis purpurea, and prescribed as a cardiac stimulant in the treatment of congestive heart failure and other disorders of the heart.
Scientific definitions for digitalis
digitalis
[ dĭj′ĭ-tăl′ĭs ]
A drug prepared from the seeds and dried leaves of the purple foxglove, Digitalis purpurea, and prescribed as a cardiac stimulant in the treatment of congestive heart failure and other disorders of the heart.