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Glite Dictionary
contrayerva

contrayerva

9.9
A plant from South America or a traditional medicine made from its root
  • noun
  • /ˌkɒntrəˈjɛrvə/
  • UK
: contrayerva
  • He then traveled to Campechy and Vera Cruz to look for jalap, sarsaparilla, contrayerva, cochineal, gum elemi, and any other useful plants to add to his collection.

Examples

  • The herbalist recommended contrayerva to help with digestive issues.

  • In traditional medicine, contrayerva is commonly used for its healing properties.

  • Many indigenous tribes use contrayerva as a remedy during their healing rituals.

Surface Forms

contrayerva singular
contrayervas plural

Etymology

The word contrayerva comes from Spanish parts contra and yerva, where contra means 'against', as in the English word 'contradict', and yerva means 'herb'. So it was the 'herb against' illness, which is why contrayerva is the name of a South American plant root used in traditional medicine.