Standard Lemma guide

berberine

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈbɜː.bə.ɹiːn/
  • General-American: /ˈbɝ.bəˌɹin/
  • General-American: /ˈbɝ.bə.ɹɪn/

1

noun

Meaning 1

Any of a class of alkaloid C20H19NO5 originally obtained, as a bitter, yellow substance, from the root of the barberry, goldthread, and other plants. It is used in medicine especially for its antimicrobial properties.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: biochemistry, biology, chemistry, medicine, microbiology, natural-sciences, pharmacology, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English berberis Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos Proto-Italic *-īnos Latin -īnusder. Old French -inbor. Middle English -in English -ine English berberine From berberis + -ine.

Across languages

Translations

6 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 小檗鹼 /小檗碱 (xiǎobòjiǎn) — Translations
  • Chinese Mandarin: 小檗硷 (xiǎobòjiǎn) — Translations
  • Chinese Mandarin: 黃連素 /黄连素 (huángliánsù) — Translations
  • Finnish: berberiini — Translations
  • Japanese: ベルベリン (beruberin) — Translations
  • Russian: бербери́н (berberín) — Translations