1. a poisonous resin extracted from certain South American plants, traditionally used by indigenous peoples to poison arrows and blowgun darts
Usage: also called curari; historically significant in anthropology and toxicology
2. a drug derived from curare, used medically as a muscle relaxant during surgery and anesthesia
Usage: medical/pharmaceutical context

Examples

• Indigenous hunters in the Amazon used curare on their blowgun darts to paralyze prey.
• The explorer brought back samples of curare from the rainforest.
• Curare was studied extensively by scientists interested in how toxins affect the nervous system.
• Modern anesthesiologists use synthetic derivatives of curare to keep patients still during surgery.
• The poison curare works by blocking signals between nerves and muscles.