hyoscyamine

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A poisonous chemical from some plants that doctors use to treat stomach cramps

noun
/ˌhaɪəˈskaɪəˌmiːn/

Specialized

: hiosciamina

She takes hyoscyamine for intestinal spasms.

Examples

For severe abdominal pain, patients may use hyoscyamine as an effective antispasmodic.
Drug Trade Name: Phenaphen contains phenacetin, aspirin, hyoscyamine sulfate, and phenobarbital.

Academic text (2005)
The doctor prescribed hyoscyamine to relieve her gastrointestinal discomfort.
Many people find that hyoscyamine helps to ease their stomach cramps.

Surface Forms

hyoscyamine singular

hyoscyamines plural

Morphology

hyoscyamine = hyoscyamus (opaque) = hyoscyam + ine

Formed from a scientific plant name and the chemical name suffix '-ine', making the meaning and formation not guessable to an average B1 learner.

Etymology

Hyoscyamine comes from the Greek name for the henbane plant, hyoscyamus, which means 'pig-bean' from hyo- 'pig' and -scyamus 'bean'. So, hyoscyamine is the poisonous chemical taken from those 'pig-bean' plants and is used in small doses by doctors to treat stomach cramps and other belly problems.