superbine

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noun

A toxic alkaloid found in Gloriosa superba.

OriginLatin superbus →
Scrabble 13
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Meanings

noun
  1. A toxic alkaloid found in Gloriosa superba.

    Other publications report the presence of a toxic compound, superbine, which is experimentally lethal to a cat in a dose as small as 0.01 g (0.00036 oz).

    1996, David W. Nellis, Poisonous Plants and Animals of Florida and the Caribbean, Pineapple Press Inc, →ISBN, page 207
    1 more example

    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

  1. Latinsuperbus“superb”
  2. Englishsuperbine

From translingual (Gloriosa) superba + -ine, from Latin superbus (“superb”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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