n.
An ergot alkaloid, C32H40BrN5O5, that slows dopamine turnover and inhibits prolactin secretion and is used to treat Parkinson's disease and to retard the growth of various pituitary tumors.
[BROMO- + (ergo)cryptine, alkaloid derived from ergotoxine (a poisonous alkaloid found in the ergot) (from German Ergokryptin : Ergo(t), ergot + Greek kruptos, hidden; see cryptic + -in, -in).]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
