digitalis

Etymology

Modern Latin, from Latin digitālis (“of the fingers”) (named in reference to the German common name for the plant, Fingerhut (“thimble”)). Doublet of digital.

noun

1. Any plant of the genus Digitalis (herbaceous plants of the Plantaginaceae family, including the foxglove, Digitalis purpurea).
   11. Delphiniums and digitalises. 1834, James Moore, “Gardens of the Misses Garnier”, in The Gardener’s Magazine, and Register of Rural & Domestic Improvement, volume 19, page 210
   At the Medico-Botanical Society on Tuesday, Dr. Morries, made some some observations on opium, digitales, conium, and hyoscyamus, and exhibited specimens of oils obtained from the latter plants. 1836, Joseph Harrison, The Floricultural Cabinet, and Florists’ Magazine, volume 4, page 133
   Polemoniums of various species, aubretias, dwarf phloxes, delphiniums, digitalises, gerums, erigerons and a number of other things have bloomed a second time […] 1903, American Florist, volume 19, page 555
2. (medicine) A medical extract of Digitalis purpurea prescribed for heart failure etc.
   ‘You very nearly died. I had to give you digitalis three times.’ 1940, Raymond Chandler, Farewell, My Lovely, Penguin, published 2010, page 188
   The ancient remedy digitalis, extracted from the foxglove plant, for example, acts by blocking sodium channels in heart muscle, preventing potentially dangerous overactivity. 2001, Leslie Iversen, Drugs: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford, page 25