1. a poisonous resin extracted from certain South American plants, traditionally used by indigenous peoples to poison arrows and blowgun darts
Usage: also spelled curare; historically used in hunting and warfare; modern medical applications in anesthesia

Examples

• The indigenous hunters coated their arrows with curari to paralyze their prey.
• Curari was derived from tropical vines found in the Amazon rainforest.
• Scientists studied curari to develop muscle relaxants for surgery.
• The poison curari works by blocking nerve signals to muscles.
• Anthropologists documented the traditional preparation of curari by native tribes.