1. a plant of the lily family with purple or white flowers that bloom in autumn, also called autumn crocus
Usage: botanical
2. a poisonous alkaloid extracted from the colchicum plant, used medicinally to treat gout
Usage: medical; pharmaceutical

Examples

• The colchicum bloomed in the garden just as the leaves began to fall.
• Purple colchicum flowers appeared in the meadow without any leaves.
• The doctor prescribed colchicum to help reduce the patient’s gout symptoms.
• Colchicum is toxic if consumed in large quantities.
• The autumn crocus, or colchicum, is often mistaken for spring crocuses.
• Botanists study colchicum for its unique flowering cycle.