A poisonous alkaloid compound found in hemlock plants, historically famous as the toxin used to execute the philosopher Socrates.
From 'conium' (the genus name for hemlock from Greek 'konion') combined with the chemical suffix '-ine'. The name derives from the plant that produces this deadly poison.
Coniine was the active poison in the hemlock that killed Socrates in 399 BCE—it's described in Plato's 'Phaedo' as causing gradual paralysis starting from the feet, matching coniine's actual effects on the nervous system.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.