a bitter, poisonous, liquid alkaloid obtained from certain species of broom, especially Cytisus scoparius, used in medicine to stimulate the heart and also the uterine muscles in childbirth.
Origin: 1850–55; irregular < Neo-LatinSparti(um) name of a genus of broom (< Greekspárt(os) kind of broom + Neo-Latin-ium-ium) + -ine1