contrayerva

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noun

Dorstenia contrajerva, a South American plant whose aromatic root is sometimes used in medicine as a gentle stimulant and tonic.

OriginSpanish contrayerba ← Latin contra →
Scrabble 19
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Meanings

nouncontrayerva (usually uncountable, plural contrayervas)

plural contrayervas

  1. uncountableusuallyDorstenia contrajerva, a South American plant whose aromatic root is sometimes used in medicine as a gentle stimulant and tonic.
  2. uncountableusuallyThe root of the plant.

Origin

  1. Latincontra
  2. Spanishcontrayerba“literally, a counter-herb, hence an antidote for poison”
  3. Englishcontrayerva

From Spanish contrayerba (“literally, a counter-herb, hence an antidote for poison”), from Latin contra + herba (“herb”).

More words from Spanish, Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

contrayerva. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contrayerva

MLA

“contrayerva.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contrayerva. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “contrayerva,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contrayerva.

Source: contrayerva on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.