Ephedra

Origin

From Ancient Greek ἐφέδρα (ephedra, "sitting upon"), from ἐπί (epi, "upon") + ἕδρα (hedra, "seat").

Full definition of ephedra

Noun

1. Any plant of the genus Ephedra of gymnosperm shrubs.
2. A stimulant derived from the plant used in traditional Chinese herbal medicine and in over-the-counter weight-loss aids.
• 2009, February 10, Natasha Singer, F.D.A. Finds ‘Natural’ Diet Pills Laced With Drugs, Consider ephedra, an herbal stimulant that gained popularity as a weight-loss supplement in the 1990s — until hundreds of people reported ephedra-related problems including heart attacks, seizures and even deaths.
• 2013-03, David S. Senchina, Athletics and Herbal Supplements, Athletes' use of herbal supplements has skyrocketed in the past two decades. At the top of the list of popular herbs are echinacea and ginseng, whereas garlic, St. John's wort, soybean, ephedra and others are also surging in popularity or have been historically prevalent.

Synonyms

• (plant) jointfir