1. Plural of colchicine; alkaloid compounds derived from the autumn crocus plant, used in medicine and research to treat gout and in genetics to induce polyploidy in plants.
Usage: technical/medical; usually used in plural form in scientific contexts

Examples

• Colchicines are commonly used to treat acute gout attacks by reducing inflammation.
• Researchers applied colchicines to plant cells to study the effects of chromosome doubling.
• The pharmaceutical company manufactures colchicines for distribution to hospitals and clinics.
• Colchicines work by disrupting microtubule formation in cells.
• Ancient healers used extracts containing colchicines long before the compound was isolated and identified.