sparteine: Meaning and Definition of

spar•te•ine

Pronunciation: (spär'tē-ēn", -in), [key]
— n.
  1. a bitter, poisonous, liquid alkaloid obtained from certain species of broom, esp. Cytisus scoparius, used in medicine to stimulate the heart and also the uterine muscles in childbirth.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.