Meanings
nouncolchicine (countable and uncountable, plural colchicines)
plural colchicines
- countableuncountablechemistryA highly toxic alkaloid, chemical formula C₂₂H₂₅NO₆, originally extracted from plants of the genus Colchicum and formerly used to treat rheumatic complaints, now used mainly in the treatment of gout.
Gloriosa superba: spectacularly beautiful climbing lily. Roots, stalks, leaves contain an acrid narcotic, superbine, as well as colchicine and choline. Three grains of colchicine are fatal. Hawaii.
1964, Ian Fleming, You Only Live Twice
Origin
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 秋水仙素, 秋水仙鹼 /秋水仙碱
- 秋水仙素 (qiūshuǐxiānsù)alkaloid
- 秋水仙鹼 /秋水仙碱 (qiūshuǐxiānjiǎn)alkaloid
Czech kolchicin
- kolchicinalkaloid
Dutch colchicine
- colchicinealkaloid
Finnish kolkisiini
- kolkisiinialkaloid
French colchicine
- colchicinealkaloid
German Colchicin
- Colchicinalkaloid
Greek κολχικίνη
- κολχικίνη (kolchikíni)alkaloid
Italian colchicina
- colchicinaalkaloid
Japanese コルヒチン
- コルヒチン (koruhichin)alkaloid
Korean 콜히친
- 콜히친 (kolhichin)alkaloid
Polish kolchicyna
- kolchicynaalkaloid
Russian колхици́н
- колхици́н (kolxicín)alkaloid
Turkish kolşisin
- kolşisinalkaloid
Cite this entry
APA
colchicine. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/colchicine
MLA
“colchicine.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/colchicine. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “colchicine,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/colchicine.
Source: colchicine on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.